Avatar:Rise of a Legend
by Jokermask18
Summary: See the beginings of the two worlds and the origins of the bending arts. Hear the tale of the first Avatar and how she protected the world from an age-old menace. All this and more.
1. Book 1: Bending chapter 1:beginings

Avatar: Rise of a Legend

An Avatar: The Last Air Bender prequel by J.W. Appel

Disclaimer: Bryke and Nickelodeon own Avatar, I only own this story and my own characters.

Author's Note: Well, Here I am again! I was gonna do my Korra Finale rewrite first but plans changed and I planned of referencing this story's events in the finale rewrite anyway. I know this probably won't mean much next year since the Avatar's origins will apparently be revealed in Korra Book 2 but I just had to write this so enjoy regardless.

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 1: Bending

Chapter 1: The Beginning

In the beginning, there was only a void. Darkness was all that existed and had ever existed in this age where time had not yet begun. But one day, a sentient being of mystical energy came into existence by means unknown. His name was Brykus and he was the first Spirit.

Brykus saw the void around him and wished to give it life such as he possessed. He made a gesture and flooded the darkness with light. With another gesture, he spun time itself into existence. Lastly, he formed children from his own essence to populate and build this new realm with him. Thus was born the Spirit World.

For the first few centuries, the Spirits were content with their existence but something felt incomplete. Brykus was wise however and knew that his children were too alike, creating an imbalance. He moded them anew to reflect different aspects of life and even made a portion of them evil but was always watchful of the later's malevolence.

More centuries passed and the Spirits became restless once more. They approached their father and asked to create a world of their own just as He had. After much deliberation, He agree and sent his four eldest children to the far side of the void which was left untouched.

First there was the bold and stubborn Terra, who formed the foundation the new world and named it Earth. Then there was the passonite Agni, who created a blazing ball to light to fill the new world with heat and warmth. He named it the sun. Finally,there was the ever adaptable Mara and the light hearted Venshu who created water and air respectively to give the new world substance. Tui and La, a pair of younger spirits who had danced together since birth, were the first to enter the new world and continue their dance in a new way. La became the ocean, an aspect of the water Sedna had made while Tui became the moon to balance Agni's sun. The two agreed to give up immortality to stay in the new world and began a dance that would last ages, pushing and pulling against one another.

Lastly,the Spirits gave life to the new world by creating animals and humans. Thus, the physical word was born. Brykus was pleased with what his children has made and felt they had matured enough to handle themselves. He faded into the deepest depths of the Spirit World to enter an eternal sleep but had forgotten to remind his children of the one thing that their new world lacked: balance.


	2. Book 1:Bending chapter 2:energy

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 1: Bending

Chapter 2: Energy

In those long ago days, the world was only a single massive nation populated by thousands of different cultures. Each society lived apart from one another in relative peace for the first century or so but as with all things, it did not last. Differences lead to conflict and conflict lead to war.

The people fought one another with weapons, various martial arts, and mystic secrets provided by the darker Spirits. But while evil beings such as Koh the Face Stealer delighted in the destruction, the benevolent denizens of the Spirit World noticed their home crumbling around them as the war of mortals escalated. They soon discovered that their worlds were connected and the death of one would cause the other to follow. To this end, the benevolent Spirits attempted to find a way to bring balance to the mortal world and reign in their darker siblings as well.

The solution was found when a mischief making spirit called Humarus used his power to merge a lion and a turtle together, creating the first Lion-Turtle. The Lion-Turtle used it's wisdom to discover how to manipulate the Chi energy that flowed through the body, bending it to one's will. It granted this knowledge to select humans who worshipped the benevolent Spirits and thus gave rise to the first Bending art known as Energy bending.

The Energy Benders halted the war with their power and formed a secret order known as the Chakra Brotherhood to protect both worlds. The Chakra Brotherhood was divided into two devisions: Chi Warriors and Mystics. A Chi Warrior would use his or her bending for combat and develop various techniques to use against enemies who threatened the world while Mystics dealt in spiritual matters and used their Energy Bending in a way akin to sorcery. Together, this great society kept the peace and prevented evil spirits from corrupting humanity. The benevolent Spirits were pleased and decided to create more Lion-Turtles as well as other fused animals in hope of future success. To this day, only a few normal animals remain in the world.

One day, there came one who would bring about a momentous change in the world. His name was Oni. Oni was a Energy Bending prodigy from a young age and was already more powerful than most Chi Warriors at the age of twelve. At Eighteen, he was leading the Chi Warriors into battle and by the age of twenty-three, he was selected as apprentice to Chakra Master Demoni, the leader of the Brotherhood.

Oni learned much under Demoni and become aware of many forbidden energy bending techniques that been outlawed by their order for centuries. One was Chi Stealing which allowed one to absorb the energy of another to increase their own strength. Fascinated by such an idea, Oni began using this technique on his comrades in secret and felt himself grow stronger with each passing day. He soon became intoxicated by the power and sought to become the most powerful Energy Bender ever.

He left the Brotherhood for a time and sought out a Lion-Turtle which he challenged to combat. It was a tough fight but the Lion-Turtle was young and inexperienced, allowing Oni to triumph and absorb it's chi, killing it. Oni then began hunting Lion-Turtles all over the world and stealing their power for himself. By the time he returned to the Brotherhood, he was indeed the most powerful Energy Bender ever but he had become corrupted by the massive amount of Chi he had absorbed. This was the very reason the technique had been forbidden shortly after it's creation.

Oni killed Chakra Master Domini and took command of the order himself. Using another move known as Chi Corruption, he was able to take control of his former comrades and turn them into his own personal army. The Chakra Brotherhood soon became the Chakra Empire and began their conquest of the entire world under Oni's command.

Thus began the end of what was once declared a golden age. The Chakra Empire seemed invincible as they were the world's only benders and the mystical secrets that could have once been used against them were now largely forgotten. It was not until a powerful martial arts master developed the art of chi-blocking that non-benders stood a chance. The armies of the world used this art to render Chi Warriors powerless but when Oni himself entered the battle field, all seemed lost. The corrupt warrior proved immune to the unique fighting style and easily killed it's creator as well as his best students. Oni would have won then if the Spirits themselves hadn't intervened. Lead by Tui and La, every Spirit who had made their home in the physical world, from Hei Bei to the Painted Lady, assembled themselves into a massive army to confront the one who abused their gifts.

Oni had been taught since birth to fear the Spirits but he was now too far gone. He believed himself beyond them now and vowed to prove himself their master by standing his ground. The battle that followed is still remembered by the oldest spirits as the bloodiest war ever fought. Thousands upon thousand of Spirits were slain as Oni unleashed the full force of his power. It wasn't until Brykus himself sensed the death of his children and awoke from his slumber that Oni remembered why he had once feared the Spirits so.

Brykus destroyed him with a single blow, one so great that it shattered the Nation into fragments. But this did not result in the Four Nations that we know today as many would believe but hundreds of future Nations that will have their stories told soon enough. Brykus returned to his slumber and left his surviving children to find their own way. Tui and La journeyed to the far northern continent and formed a beautiful oasis that they then took up residence in as koi fish, detatching their essence from their moon and ocean forms. Their dance continued in this way even as the continent around their oasis began to grow colder and colder through the centuries until it became a frozen wasteland. The spirits took note of this for it was a sign that a new era would soon begin: the Era of the Elements.


	3. Book 1: Bending chapter 3: The moon

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 1: Bending

Chapter 3: Children of the Moon

Years passed and the time of energy bending became a painful memory. While the Chakra Empire was wiped out by Brykus, there remained several groups who still retained the ability to energy bend among the survivors of what was called the Great Scattering. These groups had refused Oni's commands but the guilt of what their brothers and sisters had done remained with them. As penance, they used energy bending to seal up their chakras forever and rendered themselves powerless as they traveled to the farthest parts of the world in self imposed exile. Some went east, some went south, some went west, and others went far north.

This particular group ended up in the frozen wasteland that would one day be called the North Pole. They forced themselves to adapt to the harsh climate and eventually became a massive tribe. The tribe was a loving community that placed great value in family but its women were treated as second class citizens. While men were allowed to train as warriors, hunt, and serve on the Council of Elders that assisted the Chief, women were expected to marry and raise families, tending to the home and their children. They were expected to obey their husbands and had very few rights on their own.

This was the way of their tribe for generations until a bold girl named Mara took a stand. Mara was sixteen years old, the age where one was recognized as an adult {in the Avatar universe that is.} For boys, this meant going through rites of passage like ice dodging to prove themselves as men but for girls, it meant being forced into arranged marriages with suitors they barely knew simply for their family's benefit. Such was the case with Mara, whose father had agreed to marry her off to the chief's son in exchange for a place on the tribal council.

Mara hated her family for putting her through this and left her home one night in order to contemplate a means of escape. It was then that she found the Oasis. The chief had forbade anyone from ever going there, claiming it was cursed but Mara was taken by its beauty and found herself drawn to the koi fish that swam together within it. She reached out to touch one and felt something stir within her.

For Mara was actually descended from the energy benders who settled there ages ago, her mother's forgotten ancestors. Her interaction with Tui and La had unlocked one of the chakras her ancestors had sealed shut and had a very interesting effect on her. Heeding the unspoken words of the spirits, Mara went to the shore and using the motions of an ancient martial art called tai chi, began mimicking the way the moon pushed and pulled the tides.

She was shocked to find that the water responded to her commands and she could now bend it to her will. Mara had become the world's first water bender. She trained with her new gift until she had mastered it and could now defend herself and others with it. She later revealed this to her people and was soon hailed as a goddess.

Mara taught others her gift and eventually came to serve on the Council of Elders, the first woman to ever do so. Under her direction, women became more equal with men and arranged marriages were all but outlawed but one did not enjoy the new ways.

This was Koluk, the Chief's son and Mara's former chosen husband. He was enraged that a woman now wielded such power and had taken up his place at his father's side. He first attempted to get Tui and La to make him a greater water bender than Mara but they refused, sensing his ill intentions. Koluk then decided to kill Mara but did so in a way none ever suspected.

He at first began courting her, saying that he truly did love her and would honored to have such a powerful wife. For over two years, she refused but later found herself growing fond of him. By the third year, she accepted and they were wed at the Spirit Oasis. After four more years, they were blessed with a son named Ranaq

Koluk was at first thrilled to have a male child until Ranaq was revealed as a water bender. Mara took her son under hind and taught him all she could, become his mentor and his hero. Koluk was furious that Mara was the whom Ranaq admired, learned to fight from, and wished to emulate. He was a boy after all. Sons learned from fathers how to be men, not their mothers.

Finally, when Ranaq was sixteen and thus a man, Koluk used his spear to murder Mara from behind. Ranaq weapt for his mother and though he could not bring himself to strike his father, vowed that Mara's passing would not be in vain before vanishing into the night, never to be heard from again.

Koluk cared not for Ranaq had always been his mother's son. He then went about using his position as Chief to return thins to the way they were. He said Mara had been punished by the spirits for daring to leave a woman's rightful place and used this lie to forbid women from ever water bending again and thus it remained so for many more years. A sad tale? Indeed, but necessary for Tui and La's actions were the first steps towards a new era of bending. An era that continued with the saga of Oma and Shu.


	4. Book 1: Bending chapter 4: Oma and Shu

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 1: Bending

Chapter 4: Oma and Shu

The actions of Tui and La caused quite a commotion in the Spirit World. Sedna was outraged that bending had been resurrected in this new form and almost separated Tui and La for eternity had Venshu not spoken up on their behalf. The Air Spirit reasoned that what was now known as the Water Tribe was too isolated from the rest of the world to cause trouble and therefore should be left alone. He also convinced his brother and sisters that elemental bending deserved a place in the physical world though not with humans. To this end, new animals were created that could command the elements. Agni created fire bending dragons to rule the West, Terra created earth bending badger-moles to rule the East, and Venshu made sky bisons that bent air and made their home in the South. Sedna had agreed Tui and La could remain as koi fish to bend water as long as they taught no one else.

But though humans were never meant to learn the elements, there are forces at work in the universe greater than even Brykus himself. A second group of repentant energy benders eventually settled on a massive continent in the East and planned to live there in peace under the leadership of Amos and his lover Xandra but conflict soon arose. While Amos wished to strip himself of his energy bending, Xandra did not for she believed their gift could be used for good. This argument drove the two apart and split their group in two. It was when Amos forcibly sealed Xandra and her followers' chakras that the conflict became a massive feud. The two groups established separate villages on opposite sides of a giant mountain and began warring against one another. Amos and Xandra's love was forever gone and the two eventually married and established families that they taught to hate one another, a sick perversion off the dream they once shared together.

Several generations later, a boy named Shu grew weary of the senseless feud and walked to the mountain to pray to the Spirits for peace. It was there that he met Oma. The two fell in love at first sight and returned to the mountain every day afterwards to pray for the war's end so their love could prosper. It was after two months of this that the mountain rumbled and they beheld the badger-moles emerge from within, beckoning them to follow.

Oma and Shu obeyed and soon found themselves learning from the massive blind creatures. For they were in fact the last descendents of Amos and Xandra and had unlocked what would be called the Earth Chakra by doing what their ancestors could not: stand firm against the adversity that threatened their love. From this they became the first human earth benders and used their skill to form a series of underground tunnels where they could keep their love safe. They also formed a special crystal that would light up whenever they kissed, allowing them to navigate through the tunnels easily.

This continued for three blissful years even as the war between their homes escalated. One day however, Shu did not come. Oma waited for hours until rumbling occurred on the mountain above followed by angry shouting and the sound of weapons clashing. Oma soon realized that a full scale war had finally broken out between the villages and she emerged from the mountain top fearing the worst.

Dead bodies littered the valley below and to her horror, Shu was among them. An arrow had slain the young man before he could even think to use his earth bending for self defense. An infuriated Oma unleashed the full destructive power of earth bending on both sides, screaming "THIS WAR IS OVER! LOOK NOW INTO THE FACES OF THOSE YOU HAVE HATED FOR SO LONG AS YOU ARE CRUSHED BY THE POWER OF THE EARTH ITSELF!"

The fearful villagers surrendered and Oma ended her assault. They agreed to aid her in the construction of a grand city where they could all live in peace. This great city was named Omashu and Oma would rule as it's Queen. But the once happy young girl was no more as her heart became hard as the earth she wielded. She would never again know love, nor would her child ever know its father.

AN: I know this was just an extension of what we learned in the show but I hope you still enjoyed.


	5. Book 1: Bending chapter 5: Izu

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 1: Bending

Chapter 5: The Sun Warriors

It soon became apparent to the Spirits that the Elemental Beasts they created were acting of their own will. The dragons who ruled the western archipelago eventually approached the clan of former energy benders that settled there and spoke to their leader via telepathy. The dragons knew they desired redemption for the crimes of their ancestors and resolved to help them by giving them a sense of purpose. Using their fire bending, the great beasts created humanity's first flame before the humans' horrified eyes. They instructed the humans to watch over this great flame and protect it until they were ready to understand its secrets. The humans accepted and after a century of protecting the Great Flame, the dragons spoke with them again.

They said that whoever believed themselves worthy of the secrets of fire would take a piece of the Great Flame and journey to the top of the mountain where they nested. It would be then that the leader of the dragons himself would judge them. If they proved themselves worthy, they would be given the secrets of fire itself, but if they proved unfit for such knowledge in the dragons' eyes, they would be destroyed.

Many young men and women made this journey but few survived. The dragons could see within their very souls and knew the worst of what they were. Those ruled by their pride and anger would be forever unworthy to the great beasts.

Then one day, a boy named Izu approached the clan Elder and asked to undertake the trial. Izu was a small boy of only eight years old, the youngest of ten children. He was very frail and had barely survived after catching a serious disease as a newborn. Despite this, he asked to undertake the trial to honor his nine brother and sisters who perished attempting to do the same. The Elder laughed coldly and said "You are too small and weak to understand the nature of fire. You who are lucky to have seen ten years would crumble before its destructive power!"

But Izu knew that fire was more than destruction, it had to be. He had felt the Great Flame's warmth on cold winter nights and watched it cook the meat that hunters brought back each day. He knew that fire was somehow alive just as he and anyone else in the clan was. Knowing this in his heart and wanting to know more, Izu stole some of the Great Flame that night and began his trial. It would take many days to climb the mountain, more than most adults who had taken the trial, but Izu would not stop. He thought he heard the voices of his dead siblings when he climbed. Sometimes they warned him to turn back while other times, they mocked him. "Do not come here, or the dragons will swallow you whole!" Izu's four sisters wailed. "You're not man enough to be here, go back to Mother!" Izu's five brothers sneered.

Izu's mother was all he had after his father had perished during this same trial and his siblings soon followed. She had begged him not to approach the Elder, saying she would die if she lost another child but Izu refused to listen. He hoped she would forgive him if…no, when he returned.

After twenty long days, Izu reached the top of the mountain to discover the small flame he carried had long since gone out. Panic seized the young boy for he knew the dragons would kill him without question for allowing a part of their flame to die. Before he could even think of fleeing, a mighty roar shook the mountain and a massive gold and red dragon emerged. This was Ra, leader and mightiest of all dragons.

Silence was all that there was as Ra gazed into Izu's very soul for several long minutes. Then the great dragon touched one of its whiskers to the boy's forehead and a great voice echoed in Izu's mind. "There is fire is your soul, young Izu, one that burns brighter than that which we have bestowed upon your kin. You of all humans have earned the right to the gifts of father Agni."

With that, Ra become to float around Izu and the sun actually began to glow brighter in the sky above until it blazed pure white. Suddenly, a beam of this white light struck Izu but he felt no pain as one of his ancestors' sealed chakras opened inside of him. When the light faded, Izu was alone but he felt great power surging through his being, the power of the sun itself.

On instinct, the once frail boy began going through the motions Ra had done, a fighting style that would one day be called "the dancing dragon." Fire shot from his hands and feet with every punch and kick Izu made and he ended his magnificent display with a triumphant roar that sent a final glorious streak of flame into the sky. Izu was the first fire bender.

He traveled back down the mountain and taught others the truth of fire and the power of the sun. From his teachings, the entire clan remade itself into the Sun Warriors, a civilization that soon spanned the entire archipelago. Agni saw how his gift put to use and became the first of the Spirits to bless the Elemental benders. He created a comet that would pass by the physical world every century and give all fire benders incredible strength. The Sun Warriors named it "Agni's Eye" and held a great festival each year it returned. It is a sad fact that this great gift would become a symbol of terror many centuries later, being used to slaughter a nation and cause one of humanity's most terrible wars.

AN: I know this is late but it's here now. Chapter Six, the origin of the Air Nomads, will be up sooner. R/R!


	6. Book 1:Bending chapter 6: Free as wind

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 1: Bending

Chapter 6: Free as The Wind

The fourth group of former energy benders settled themselves in a large valley nestled in the smaller part of the Southern Nation of Del. They were a peaceful group who had managed to forgive the sins of their people far more easily than the others and were content to live as farmers on the fertile land. They were also highly spiritual and respected the Spirits more than previous generations had in a long time. In the end, this would grant them a gift that would separate them from the Nation of that day and any other.

Among this community was a young boy named Appalo. Appalo was twelve years of age and considered a dreamer by many. He was bored with life in his small village and wished to leave the valley and travel the world over. But his family and friends would not hear of such things because leaving the valley would mean going over the Petrola mountain range where villagers reported seeing massive beasts and winged demons flying about in the sky above. The people believed these were dark spirits who would devour any who neared their home and thus resolved to remain in the valley forever, away from anyone and anything.

Appalo lived this way for most of his life and dreamed of the outside world, being free to go anywhere he pleased. One night, a vision came to him in his sleep. He saw himself flying alongside gentle but huge creatures, dancing in the wind and utterly free of all life's problems. Other people soon joined Appalo in flight and he recongnised them as his family and friends before he awoke with a start. Appalo knew that he had not just had a dream but a vision of what was to come.

Over the next few days, Appalo told of his vision to all who listen. "The beasts you fear are you brothers" he proclaimed to the horrified people "it it our destiny to live amongst them in the heavens." The villagers thought the boy had been driven mad and was possessed by the dark spirits to spread evil throughout the land. Fearful of what the village leader would do to them, Appalo's parents disowned him and he was cast out of the valley forever.

Feeling betrayed and angry, Appalo journeyed to the one place he felt he could call home; the Petrola mountains. Once he reached them, he could feel the wind pick up around him and he called out "I'm here! Come to me!"

A few moments later ,a roar was heard and a massive bison with six legs and arrow shaped markings along it's body landed in front of Appalo. "I'm finally here, just as I was always meant to be. Please teach me to be like you. Teach me to be…free."

The Sky Bison merely allowed Appalo to climb onto him and flew them both to the top of the mountain. It was there that the young wanderer saw other bison and what he learned were lemurs flying and frolicking about, free and happily grazing on fruit and vegetation. Appalo knew he had found his true home at last.

Over the next ten years, Appalo lived among the bison and learned their ways. He even managed to unlock the Air Chakra and bend the air around him to fly as they did. He would use this gift to travel the world as a nomad and see things he had only ever dreamed about. When he ran into trouble, he developed a unique style of self defense that was largely evasion and misdirection. It was his goal to avoid conflict whenever possible though he could use his air bending to attack when needed.

As time passed and Appalo became a rumor throughout the many nations, his former home of Del came under the authority of a cruel Baron. The Baron knew Del was rich in valuable minerals and sought to capture slaves to use as miners. His soldiers traveled the country seizing land and enslaving those who occupied it. Any who protested were either killed or imprisoned.

As fate would have it, the valley that Appalo once called home held the largest mineral deposit in all of Del. The Baron's troops came upon the peaceful village like a plague and easily defeated the farmers. They were soon all in chains and forced to destroy the land they called home while the Baron reaped all wealth for himself. Observing all this was Dali, the Sky Bison who had first welcomed Appalo and taught him air bending. He knew of this village from his talks with Appalo for such was their bond that could know each other's thoughts.

But when Dali reported what he had seem, Appalo merely laughed cruelly. "Why should I care what happens to them after they banished me? I have all the freedom in the world and if this Baron oppresses them the way they oppressed me, then I would gladly call him a friend. I tried to show them our way and they scoffed so now they pay the price."

Dali growled angerly and marched off,clearly upset with Appalo's selfishness. It was the next day when Appalo found he could no longer fly and his air bending had vanished completely. Distraught, he asked the bison to teach him again but they refused. Now stripped of the freedom he so enjoyed, the nomad begged the Spirits for it's return but received no answer until Venshu himself visited in a dream.

"Your freedom is lost because you weigh yourself down with anger" the Air Spirit said "you must accept what your people have done and let it go. Only through forgiveness can you give true freedom to yourself and others who crave it." Appalo awoke then and went to meditate. This was a common practice among the elders of his village and though Appalo often found it silly, they claimed it brought inner peace.

For two nights, Appalo meditated until he was finally able to let go of his anger and forgive his former people. His air bending returned that night and he lead a heard of Sky Bison through the air to Del. They swooped down on the valley and easily subdued the soldiers before freeing the captured villagers. For the first time in over a decade, Appalo faced the people who once ridiculed him and cast him out. His aged parents in particular could only gasp in shock as the boy that brought them such shame had become a man with arrows he himself painted over his body and power over the wind itself.

"Come with me" he told them simply "be free at last. I still believe in your destiny and now, so must you if you are to escape this tyranny." The villagers saw Appalo's wisdom at long last and mounted the Sky Bison to fly to freedom. They settled in the mountains with their lost son and formed bonds with the creatures they once feared, eventually learning to air bend as well. Appalo lead his new brothers and sisters on several excursions back into Del where they freed everyone under the Baron's tyranny and made them a part of their new order. The Baron sent what few soldiers he had left after them and even employed assassins but they all failed. Eventually, the Baron fell out of power and passed away ,leaving the entire nation of Del to the Air Nomads which Appalo lead as Wind Priest. With this,the fourth Elemental Nation came into being and the Spirits knew something would have to be done.

An: Well, one more chapter of Book One to go!


	7. Book 1: Bending chapter 7:Balance

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 1: Bending

Chapter 7: Creating Balance

With the Elemental Nations growing day by day, the Spirits became troubled. The people were devided in terms of personality as well as the element they bended. The ever adaptable water benders would surely clash with the stubborn and uncompromising earth benders while the passonite fire benders would surely disagree with the detatched state of the Air Nomads. As they had learned centuries ago, differences lead to conflict and conflict lead to war.

There was also the matter of the other Nations that had not learned any new type of bending. What if one or all the Elemental Nations decided to conquer them? Worst yet, what if the other Nations did learn new bending arts or even resurrected energy bending? The war that would follow would be a cataclysm!

While most Spirits lamented over the possible futures, wiser ones focused on the present. The four Elemental Spirits met in a remote corner of their realm to discuss the state of their creation and it's problems. Wise as they were however, they too stood divided.

"If you ask me, this whole thing started with Tui and La" grunted Terra "if they hadn't been so dumb as to go to the human world, that tribe wouldn't have learned water bending in the first place!" The Earth Spirit resembled a woman made of stone and dressed in robes of brown and green. She was blunt and never let her opinion go unheard but was unquestionably loyal and courageous. These same qualities had made her many friends as well as enemies.

"Many of our other siblings crossed over and taught mortals as well" Sedna argued "it was that Mara girl who taught others. Quite frankly, if you had exercised better control over your Badger Moles, maybe that tribe would be our only problem and the same can be said for Agni's dragons and Venshu's bison."

The water spirit was also female with light blue skin and pure white hair. She seemed to wear a tunic made from ice and her eyes glowed like stars. She was usually calm and soothing but once her anger was roused, it could be terrible and cruel.

"Our beasts' decision to teach humans their gifts was their own will" Venshu stated wisely before a fight could break out "we do not control them just as Father chose not to control us." The Air spirit was just that, wind in a humanoid shape. He was peaceful and acted aloof most of time, but his emotions changed rapidly and he could be serious one moment and silly the next. As the youngest of the Four Elementals ,he was basically their annoying little brother.

"Maybe YOU should be controlled" Agni grumbled "you were the one who sent that Appalo boy visions of the bison and then you told him to recruit others. You made sure the Air Nomads were founded yet you were also the one to call this meeting. It's insane!" Agni was the spirit of Fire, resembling a man with gold skin and hair of flames. He had a fierce temper and was ruled by his emotions more than the other Spirits.

"Who are you to talk?" Terra snapped "you made that comet as a way to make fire benders stronger. That practically invites them to start a war and they fight with each other enough as it is!" It was true that the Sun Empire was made up of clans that frequently fought to occupy more territory. The clan leaders claimed land by way of facing one another in a fire bending duel known as an Agni Kai sometimes to the death.

"My followers deserve such power" Agni snapped "they are strong and fight with passion, unlike Venshu's weak Ai r Nomads who run from every obstacle!" "The Air Nation is one of peace" Venshu countered tersely "they do not seek conflict unlike Terra's Earth Benders who will charge into every fight they see and never back down!" "Well at least my followers stand firm unlike Sedna's who constantly change their way of living just as often as the sun rises." "It's called adapting and it's one thing that allows society to survive change, the one constant in the universe." Sedna snapped "and unlike-"

"CEASE YOUR BICKERING MY CHILDREN" a mighty voice boomed as Brykus himself appeared. He towered over the Elementals yet there was no anger or malice in his eyes as he spoke with them. "WHAT YOU FAIL TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT SEPARATION IS MERELY AN ILLUSION. ALL THINGS,INCLUDING THE ELEMENTS, ARE PART OF A WHOLE AND IN ORDER TO KEEP PEACE, THE MORTALS MUST HAVE THE GUIDENCE OF ONE WHO EMBODIES THIS CONCEPT. THERE MUST BE ONE WHO IS A MASTER OF ALL FOUR ELEMENTAL BENDING ARTS AND CAN SERVE AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE WORLDS. ONLY THIS CHOSEN ONE CAN SERVE TO PROTECT THE BALANCE AS THE CHAKRA BROTHERHOOD DID IN OLDEN DAYS."

"But father, no spirit or mortal can do these things" Sedna said. "THE CHOSEN ONE IS NEITHER SPIRIT NOR MORTAL ALONE BUT BOTH, A SPIRIT IN MORTAL FORM THAT SHALL LIVE AMONG THEM AND DIE LIKE ANY OTHER." "B-but if he or she dies and crosses over like an ordinary mortal,the balance they achieve will be undone before long" Agni protested. Brykus only smiled. "YOU SHALL SEE IN DUE TIME MY SON BUT NOW I MUST ASK ALL OF YOU SOMETHING THAT WILL REQUIRE GREAT SACRIFICE. THE CHOSEN ONE MUST BE THE EMBODIMENT OF THE PHYSICAL WORLD,OF ALL FOUR ASPECTS YOU REPRESENT. I MUST ASK THAT YOU ALL SACRIFICE YOUR INDIVIDUAL EXISTENCES TO BECOME ONE AND CREATE THAT WHICH SHALL FOREVER BE KNOWN AS…THE AVATAR."

For several long moments, none of the Elementals could speak. To become one for all time to preserve balance was not an easy choice to make but they knew it must be done. Mortal and Dark Spirit alike would ravage existence if they didn't. To this end, a choice was made and Terra stepped forward. "May the Avatar be strong as earth" she said and became a ball of green light that flew into her father's massive left hand.

Agni was next as he said "may the Avatar be fierce as fire." He then became a gold and red ball of light that flew into his father's other hand. Venshu was next and he seemed the calmest out of them all. "May the Avatar be free as air" he said calmly and became a ball of white light that joined Terra in Brykus' left hand . Sedna was the last as she joined Agni in her father's right hand with a cry of "may the Avatar flow as easily as water."

Brykus clapped his hands together and the four balls of light merged into a single multi-colored orb. This was the new spirit that would embody the mortal world, the Avatar Spirit. Having not held a newborn Spirit in over a thousand years, the creator of the Spirit World savored the moment before releasing it to cross over into the mortal world. Before he returned his slumber however, Brykus uttered an ominous warning: "true balance cannot exist without imbalance."

…

In the mortal world, tornadoes formed and earthquakes rumbled as tidal waves ripped at shore. The volcanoes of the Sun Empire erupted simultaneously yet no one was harmed. All across the world, they knew a momentous event had taken place but what?

Meanwhile, in the East Nation of Terakai that was opposite the Earth Continent,a massive crater had formed on a small piece of farm land. The aged couple that owned the land nervously approached and were shocked to find a baby girl sleeping peacefully within. They retrieved the baby and watched her open beautiful green eyes that looked far too wise for a baby. The couple knew that this baby was a gift from the Spirits for having prayed for a child those many years now. They had no idea of the grand destiny that awaited the child they now held in their arms. "What will we call her?" The husband asked his wife as she lovingly cradled their new daughter. The wife thought for a moment and found her answer as she gazed into her child's green eyes. "Gaia" the wife decided "her name is Gaia."

End Book 1

Avatar Extras:

Energy bending techniques part 1:

Energy benders were unique for their self replenishing chi that would build up after a move or technique was used. The more advanced the move, the more chi was used and the longer it took to regenerate. Some energy bending moves employed by Chi Warriors included:

Chi blast

A simple move that involves using the least Chi, it's a simple energy blast fired from the user's hands, mouth or even twin beams from the eyes. The move is great for continuous attacks and the easiest to master .

Chi Wave

A stronger more advanced version of the Chi Blast that causes more damage but uses up more Chi and can't be used quite as often. It resembles a chi blast but has a far wider arc.

Chi punch

A move that focuses chi into one or both fists for super strong punches. Can be used along with Chi kick.

Chi Kick

A move that focuses Chi into one or both legs for super strong kicks. Can be used along with Chi Punch.

Chi shield

The energy bender surrounds his or her body with a protective aura that renders them invulnerable to most attacks except for more advanced energy bending moves. Chi blocking was first used against this technique during the war with the Chakra Empire.

Chi weapons

A move that can allow energy benders to form weapons from their chi. Swords and battle axes were the traditional chosen forms but some Chakra Brotherhood archers used this technique to create energy arrows for their bows.

Chi boost

A energy bender could focus their chi through various parts of their body and grant themselves enhanced senses, strength and speed for a limited time. The move is terribly draining though and the Chi Punch or Kick has proven more effective than an attack enhanced by this move.

Chi healing

A move similar to the water bending technique in than an energy bender uses their chi to heal theirs and other's wounds. An advanced energy bender could regenerate limbs using this move but it is a terribly draining with even it's most minimal of uses and it took two days at least for maximum chi regeneration.

Energy bending techniques Part 2

Mystics were the spiritual side of energy bending and were never meant to engage in combat. They handled spiritual matters and were always accompanied by Chi Warriors for protection. Some their techniques included:

Illusion Casting

A Mystic could create illusions that faded after twelve hours. While not a combat move, this could often be used to distract enemies long enough for a Mystic to escape danger.

Astral projection form

A Mystic's most famed skill was the ability to create a fake body resembling a Spirit and infuse their essence into it. Like the Avatar, Mystics could travel in the Spirit World but only in this way because during the days of the Chakra Brotherhood, Spirits believed any mortal who entered their realm before death or without their knowledge was their enemy and would be destroyed on sight. This technique was developed so that Mystics could deal with Spirits in their own domain without fear of angering them.

Teleportation

A Mystic could teleport themselves and others various distances. This was how most of the Brotherhood traveled.

Mind meld

A Mystic could focus their chi into a person's mind and see memories,thoughts, and drams.

Spirit Sense

The ability to sense the otherworldly Chi that Spirits have. Smaller traces are often detected in places of worship.

Author's note: Book 1 of 3 is done at last and I debut my own version of Avatar Extras that will show up at each book's end. Book 2 "Gaia" which will detail the first Avatar's exploits will be up as soon as it can be. Special thanks to Silver Omega 01,who also inspired Avatar Extras, thestorywizard {best wishes to your grandma} and Jonesman2007.


	8. Book 2: Gaia chapter 1: Destiny

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 2: Gaia

Chapter 1: Destiny

As Brykus himself once said "true balance cannot exist without Imbalance." This is especially true for the Avatar. Each Avatar must face some challenge or foe in their lifetime and Gaia the First was no exception. At the exact moment she was born onto the world, a dark presence began to stir after being dormant for so long. On a small piece of land at the edge of the world, a massive concentration of chi energy came into being as plants and animals all around found themselves struck dead. This energy soon took the form of a tall man with rippling muscles clad in black armor modeled after a Lion-Turtle and a crown on his head. This was Oni, emperor of the Chakra Empire back from the dead.

While Brykus had killed him, Oni had long ago instructed a Mystic to use a forbidden technique to anchor his spirit to the physical world. He had thought this meant immortality but was proven wrong when Brykus destroyed his physical body. However, his spirit remained and slowly began absorbing the chi around him to recreate his body. After centuries of work, he had succeeded at long last.

The Chakra Emperor received a shock however when he saw how the world had changed so. Wanting to learn more, he linked his chi with that of the world and was able to receive visions of the centuries that had passed since his defeat. While he saw the new Nations as simply new territory to conquer, he was enraged at the rise of Elemental Bending. How dare the Spirits corrupt the art he had dedicated his life to?!

Vowing to make the world as it once was under his rule, Oni first created a massive fortress to serve as his new capital. He then resurrected every Chi Warrior and Mystic that had served under him and recreated every weapon the Brotherhood once had. For Oni was the most powerful energy bender ever and since everything that exists is made up of some form of energy, he could bend reality itself to do nearly anything. He then sent his vast army across the world to conquer in his name and thus began sixteen years of terror and suffering at the hands of a menace thought long dead.

Meanwhile in Terakai, Gaia had grown into a beautiful young girl under the loving guidance of her adopted parents. Despite her beauty however, she was considered an oddity due to her overly stoic personality. She never expressed any sort of emotion no matter the occasion and the more superstitious members of the community believed she wasn't even human. Little did they realize she was so much more.

Gaia was not uncaring or cruel but she dared not even smile. Ever since she was a child, her emotions had triggered bizarre occurrences around her. Fear caused the earth to quake and anger ignited fires while her sadness caused massive floods. Even Laughter and joy were forbidden as they created powerful and dangerous winds.

No one had ever linked Gaia to these events but the guilt was a crushing weight upon her soul. It was because of this that she trained herself to hide her emotions from even her adopted parents. One day, tragedy struck in Terrakai as the Chakra Empire invaded their shores. With the Nation's soldiers gone to fight the war elsewhere , Chi Warriors ran rampant destroying everything in their path. When they came across the village that Gaia called home, her parents were the first not to cower before the ancient evil warriors. They had heard tales of the Elemental Nation and knew that the Earth Continent was not far from them." Great Queen Oma will slaughter you Emperor and bury him and his wickedness beneath the earth!" Gaia's father proclaimed before the enraged Chi Warriors struck him down with Chi blasts. The terrified scream of her mother brought Gaia, who had just returned from the market, to the scene.

The Chi Warriors grinned lustfully at the sight of her. The males of the Chakra Army had made a ritual of rounding up the young women in every nation they had conquered thus far to use as concubines and in all of Tarakai, Gaia was the first to peak their interest. They approached the seemingly docile young woman from all sides but before they could pounce, a great wind surrounded the young woman and blew them into a nearby wall. They scrambled to their feet just in time to see Gaia's eyes glow pure white.

At that same time, monstrous storm clouds formed over the village and every Chi Warrior looked to the heavens in fear and awe. The next sound they heard was a lifetime of repressed emotions being unleashed in a furious roar of rage. Lighting rained down, massive floods rose up, hurricanes raged and the earth shook as never before all at once. Chi Warrior and civilian alike were wiped out in this display and every home including Gaia's was destroyed. In the end ,only she survived, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of three rapists and nothing else. Gaia's eyes stopped glowing a moment later and she beheld the destruction she had wrought. Then, all went dark.

She awoke in a place that was both foreign and familiar, being gazed down upon by the Four Elementals. She knew who they were for she had dreamed of them since childhood and also knew it was they who had cursed her with such terrible power. "Why have you chosen to torture me so!?" Gaia shrieked "of all the mortals in this world and the next, what have I done to deserve your wrath!?"

"You are no mortal" Agni replied "you are us and we are you. You are the Avatar." "Long ago, we created the physical world and trusted the Chakra Brotherhood to keep it in balance" Sedna explained "with their corruption and the subsequent rise of the Elemental Nations, we were forced to become one and assume a mortal form to keep balance ourselves." "You are that mortal" Terra continued "and you were created to protect your world and ours." "You must gain control of the power we have given you and bring about peace" Venshu spoke next "only then can you make peace within yourself."

"It cannot be controlled!" Gaia argued "I have tried my entire life and have wrought only destruction!" Agni frowned. "Supression is not control" he said "yours are the powers of the elements themselves and must be embraced if you are to harness them properly." "Seek out the Elemental Nations and learn each bending style they command" Sedna advised "through these combat styles, you will master the Elements and end the war. Good luck, Avatar."

Gaia saw the Elementals begin to fade and became frustrated. "wait" she cried out "I have more questions! What will I do if we must speak again?" Venshu smiled slightly and said "we are all part of you and will always be here when you need us. Simply look within yourself and call out."

Gaia next found herself on the shore, far from the ruins of her village. She was so confused that she failed to notice the massive shape rising from the depths behind her. "I am Oogleo, last of the Lion-Turtles" it said to her in a deep rumbling voice "my ancestors bestowed the gift of energy bending upon humanity and paid with their lives. The Spirits have given me extended life at the cost of my energy bending so that I may guide the Chosen One in the quest for peace. Climb aboard, young Avatar."

Gaia did so and they began their long trek towards the nearest Elemental Nation, the Earth Continent. Meanwhile, Emperor Oni was enraged at the news of what happened in Terakai. How could a being as powerful as Gaia possibly exist? He vowed then and there to destroy this insolent girl by any mean neccessary.

AN: Chapter One of Book 2 is here! Special thanks to Silver Omega 01,thestorywizard, and Jonesman2007.


	9. Book 2: Gaia Chapter 2: Stone

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 2: Gaia

Chapter 2: Stone

The journey to the Earth Continent lasted several days and in that time, Gaia learned all she could about Oogleo and his people. She learned how he was a direct descendent of the very first Lion-Turtle and how his kind were once sacred to Chakra Brotherhood, reflected in everything from the armor they wore to the monuments that lined their temple. She learned of how the Spirits had taken him to the Spirit World to hide him from Oni and how he had waited many centuries for the Chosen One, having seen the rise of every Nation. Lastly, she learned of the pain he felt as his mate and child were slain by Oni while he lay in hiding, unable to save them because Brykus forbade it. It was this shared pain that forged a bond between them, one that is said to have been passed down to all other Avatars and their animal guides.

They eventually arrived at the Earth Continent's shore and Gaia dismounted while Oogleo disappeared beneath the waves until she needed him again. In those days, the Earth Continent was merely a cluster of villages with only a few Earth benders living in each one. Oma, now old and the last surviving of the original Element Benders, ruled over it all from the grand city she founded years ago. Gaia traveled these villages in search of an instructor but few trusted outsiders. When she explained who she was and why she needed to learn, they scoffed.

"Earth is the only Element that can be bent" they claimed "those other benders are only rumors. Besides, a timid little girl such as you couldn't possibly fight Oni anyway." Gaia heard this same speech more or less whenever she encountered a possible teacher. When one of them was particularly condescending and disrespectful towards her, her temper flared and his pants were set on fire.

Calling her a witch, the people of the village sent their local earth benders to capture her. When her fear of being captured caused her to bend earth herself for the first time, a message was sent out to Omashu and Gaia was soon brought before Oma herself.

"You wish to learn the way of the Earth?" The aged Queen scoffed as she glared down at Gaia "you look as though your own shadow could frighten you and you expect me to believe you're a…Avatar,was it?

"Yes, great Oma" Gaia replied respectfully despite her anger "the Spirits have ordered me to master all four Elements and win the war against the energy benders." Oma scoffed again. "No one can defeat Emperor Oni. All we can hope for is to survive but because you amuse me, you will be taught. SHANG!"

A middle aged man in green and brown that bore resemblance to Oma stepped forward and bowed. "Shang is a moderately good earth bender ,good enough for you anyway" the Queen said in a haughty tone that made Gaia's blood boil. Shang seemed indifferent to his Queen's insult as she continued "if you can at least grasp the basics with Shang as your teacher, I'll consider giving you the honor of being my pupil. Good luck, 'Avatar.'

Determined to prove herself to Oma, Gaia threw herself into training with Shang. Every insult the Queen threw at her strengthened her determination and she began slowly but surely mastering the basics of the element of survival. She also developed friendship with Shang, who revealed himself as Oma's son by Shu, the lost love whose blood created the grand city. Shang explained how his mother's hard exterior hid her sorrow and grief over her lost love. "Then why does she belittle you so?" Gaia asked her friend "you are her flesh and blood as well as Shu's. She should treasure you above all else." "Because I remind her too much of my father."

Gaia eventually did pass the basics and as agreed, Oma began to teach her personally. The aged Queen was almost sadistic in her methods and demanded nothing but perfection. Despite her best efforts however, the young Avatar could not think like a master Earth Bender. Though she now demonstrated slightly better control over the Earth, using it to fight was almost impossible for her.

"You are spineless!" Oma berated her pupil one day after another failed session " you depend on the earth to shield you from harm/ You allow it to dominate and that's why you'll never be an earth bender! You must be as firm as your element, strong and unyielding and absolute in both mind as well as body. Oni would crush you like a bug and you would deserve it!"

"I would rather be spineless than anything like you!" Gaia snapped back "you have a heart of stone and treat even your own son like a pig-dog! I have heard stories about your Shu and if even half of them are true, he was blind to what a beast you truly were! How could a man so loving and gentle love an arrogant, heartless, ugly, piece of-"

Gaia soon found herself suspended in a column of earth with Oma glaring at her like a feral beast. "Listen carefully to me little girl" the old bender hissed venomously "don't ever act like you know me and NEVER pretend you knew Shu if you want to live. This entire city was built on the foundations of my love for him and I'll give my last breath to see that it still stands in his name. As for my son, I love him more than he'll ever know but to say those words to another is near unimaginable after what I've been through. If you are privileged enough to have someone who is to you what Shu was to me, then lose them because of someone else's hatred, then perhaps you'll come to view heartlessness as a blessing!"

The Queen marched away then, leaving Gaia trapped and alone to contemplate what she had just heard. Remembering what she was told, the Avatar looked within herself and called out to the Elemental Spirits. Terra soon appeared before her.

"You need help already? You haven't even mastered one element yet and you're already seeking wisdom." Gaia glared. "I've had enough criticism for one day thanks just get me out of here!" "Sorry kid" Terra grunted "you can't call us for things like this. You have to earth bend out of there yourself."

"But I don't know how!" "Despite her methods, Oma isn't wrong" Terra replied "you have to be firm and abosolute to connect with the earth. Don't ask the Earth to release you,command it to." Gaia closed her eyes and focused on getting free with all her might. To her shock, the Earth retracted around her and she was free. Terra smiled. "Great job kid, you'll be a proper Avatar yet."

"But Oma will not teach me now that I've angered her" Gaia said worriedly "she still believes I can't be an earth bender. " "You just proved her wrong." "With your guidance" Gaia countered "I can't do it again on my own." "You will" Terra promised "you just have to find something you'll never back down from." With that, Terra vanished.

The next day, Gaia was attempting to find Oma again when the call went out; the Chakra Empire was invading the Earth Continent. A spy under Oni's employ had infiltrateded Oma's court and learned all there was to know about Gaia and the threat she posed. Oni had planned on saving the Elemental Nations for last in his conquest of the world but after learning of Gaia's misson ,he vowed to destroy her before she became a threat. Leading the Chi Warriors was High General Sonja, Oni's trusted second in command.

Sonja was a beautiful and deadly woman known for her distinctive red eyes and silver hair. Centuries ago, she had been the strongest Chi Warrior among the women of the Chakra Empire , almost a female counterpart to Oni himself. When the later rose to power, she alone had willingly joined him in his conquest and stood beside him now to rule the modern world. Some had even said that they were secretly lovers.

Sonja was known for her skill with Chi Weapons but was also privy to Spirit Bending,a technique developed by Oni himself that allowed one to remove an elemental bender's power forever. Sonja and himself were the only who knew the technique and would have eventually used it as a secret weapon later in the war if not for Gaia. They marched across the continent and ravaged villages by the dozen on their way to Omashu and any Earth Bender who stood in their path was either slain by Sonja's Chi sword or had their abilities removed by Spirit Bending.

Back in Omashu, Oma prepared to personally defend her city alongside her elite earth benders. Shang begged his mother to reconsider and let him lead in her place but the aged Queen refused,saying that she would die with her city if necessary. "You may not care about the legacy of your father and I, but these real earth benders do" she snapped harshly as she referred to her Elites "go hide with the so-called 'Avatar' if you wish!"

But Shang was as stubborn as his mother and devised a plan to stop the Chi Warriors before they even reached Omashu. Scouts had reported their exact route and Shang knew a way to surprise them by going through the Si Wong Desert and ambushing them. He quickly gathered his troops and was prepared to depart that night when Gaia approached him and asked to come. "I may be unable to earth bend but it is still my duty to defeat the Chakra Empire any way I can" she said with a stubborn look that would have actually impressed Oma.

Shang reluctantly agreed and the two set off. But when they entered the Si Wong Desert, they were shocked to find Sonja and her troops waiting for them. It seemed Oni's spy had struck again. The battle was fierce with Chi Warriors quickly gaining the advantidge. Gaia attempted to fight with her limited Earth Bending but was not strong enough and soon, she and Shang were forced to kneel before Sonja herself.

"Your crude mockery of the sacred art of Bending has greatly angered my Emperor" the High General sneered "it is his wish that this horrid ability be cleansed from your spirits. Starting with you, Avatar!" Sonja began spirit bending Gaia and as she screamed in agony, the Avatar could feel the Element Spirits within her scream as well. The Spirit Bending technique would merely remove the gifts of a normal Element Bender but to a being like Gaia, it meant destruction to the Spirits that formed her and the very world they embodied.. All would have ended right there if Gaia had not suddenly found the sheer force of will to resist and with it, unlocked her earth bending abilities. She proved more powerful than an average earth bender even as a novice and together with Shang, easily turned the tides. An enraged Sonja teleported away, vowing Oni would have vengeance.

Gaia and Shang returned to Omashu where the Avatar went on to fully master earth bending and earn Oma's respect. She also found she could bend sand, wood, and even metal but Terra advised her that metal bending was not yet due to be discovered and neither were wood and sand bending. Thus, she kept these skills a secret from all but Shang.

With her first element mastered, Gaia once again mounted Oogleo and traveled West to learn fire bending from The Sun Empire. Little did she know that Oni was already plotting more cunning ways to kill her. If attacking directly would not stop her, he would have to find more indirect means.

AN: Sorry for the long wait for this. Real life can be a pain sometimes. Special thanks to Silver Omega 01, thestorywizard {best wishes to your step-grandma} and joneman2007.


	10. Book 2: Gaia chapter 3: Ember

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 2: Gaia

Chapter 3: Ember

Gaia and Oogleo traveled west and like before, it took several days time. On the night before they arrived, Gaia found herself visited by Agni in a dream. "You must be prepared to act as a peace maker in the Sun Empire Avatar" said the Fire Spirit cryptically "I sense my followers have been tainted by an outside influence and are being led astray by those they have come to trust in." Agni vanished then and Gaia awoke just as they reached the shore of the Archipelago.

Gaia dismounted and proceeded to tour the land for a fire bending teacher. She hadn't gone far when a mighty roar caught her attention. The Avatar looked up to see a dragon flying straight toward her and was mystified by the sight. Ever since she was a little girl, she had heard stories of the mighty beasts and to see one in person was like a dream come true. Gaia was so transfixed that she almost failed to notice that the Dragon was attacking her.

She narrowly dodged its flame assault and proceeded to counter with earth bending. The Dragon was strong though and fighting it off soon became taxing. Just as the mighty beat became to gain the edge, another blast of flame struck it from out of nowhere. Gaia turned to see a young man about her age dressed in gold and red sage robes and war paint. He struck the dragon with a swift combination of flame attacks and it became clear that he was a fire bender. Gaia used this distraction to regain her edge on the dragon and together with her new ally, forced it to retreat.

"You should be more careful" the young fire bender admonished "this territory is ablaze with Drag Hotspots. Who are you anyway Hotlass? I've never seen you before and how did you do that flamin' hot magic trick with the ground? That was flameo!"

Ignoring the young man's odd slang, the Avatar smiled. "I'm Gaia and I'm not from around here. The magic you saw was called earth bending." "Earth bending? People can bend things other than fire?" "Well yeah, but only I can bend all the elements because I'm the Avatar." "The whatatar?" Gaia explained her tale and asked the young boy, whom she learned was named Zorin, to teach her fire bending.

Zorin grew sad and said "I can't, I'm only an apprentice Fire Sage." The Fire Sages had been formed from the Elders of the Sun Empire in the decade following Gaia's birth. They had ended all wars between Sun Warrior clans and unified the Nation as its rulers and spiritual council. Their temple was located near the Great Flame, which still burned just as brightly as it had in the days of Izu. Zorin took his new friend to the Sages and humbly asked that she be taught. The Head Sage Kaiju said "If you truly are a keeper of balance then you must aid us in stopping the dragons. They have turned against us and have begun murdering whole clans by the dozen. We fear they no longer see us as worthy of the Great Flame's secrets." Remembering Agni's words, Gaia agreed to end the conflict as she learned fire bending. A bargain was struck and training began but Gaia could not shake the odd feeling she got from Kaiju.

Weeks passed as Gaia began learning the element of fire. She found it to be the most lethal of the elements, requiring great discipline in order to be controlled. The Sages proved this by giving her simple tasks at first like keeping the edges of a leaf from being burned and regular breathing exercises. When she passed those however, Kaiju began teaching her odd forms that didn't seem to improve her skill and the chi enhancement ritual she underwent to become more connected to the Great Flame seemed to leave her drained each time. Zorin knew these were not the usual training methods but remembered his place as apprentice and didn't speak out.

Meanwhile, the dragons continued to attack Sun Warrior settlements and clans were being scattered. Many of the strongest fire benders attempted to lead raids on the dragon nests but few returned and those that did were rarely the same. Gaia attempted to join these raids but Kaiju forbid it, insisting she train in the temple. "Until you are a fire bender yourself, you are unworthy of facing the original masters" he would say.

And so Gaia remained in the temple and trained under Kaiju but she continued growing weaker by the day. Even her earth bending was beginning to fade and she found it nearly impossible to connect with the Elemental Spirits. What was happening to her?

Zorin, who had gotten a crush on Gaia over time, wondered the same. It seemed the Fire Sages were attempting to hinder her progress rather than help it along. Didn't they want her to defeat Emperor Oni and make peace with the dragons?

One night when the Sages were called to perform a mass burial for a wiped out clan and only Zorin and Gaia were in the temple, they were awoken by a very familiar roar. The very same dragon who had attacked when Gaia arrived had returned! He circled the temple menacingly, waiting for them to appear. They knew if they did however, there was no chance o survival. Gaia was nearly powerless at this point and Zorin's fire bending was weak at night. When they finally were forced to appear however, they were shocked to find the dragon was bowing before them. Something in Gaia told her to approach the beast and she found a whisker touched to her forehead. Images flashed in her brain of the Fire Sages pilfering eggs from the Dragons' nest and scattering them through various Sun Warrior cities, the same ones that the Dragons had destroyed. The image changed then of Head Sage Kaiju performing the chi enhancement ritual on her but then it changed. Kaiju changed into an old man wearing a white robe with the Chakra Empire insignia stitched in and Gaia herself was slowly aging into a corpse. The frightening image shocked the Avatar back to reality but she now knew the truth of it all.

Turning to Zorin, she said "we have to get to the Dragon's nest. There's more to this feud than anyone knows!" Zorin reluctantly agreed and the two set off with the dragon as he carried them to his home. It was there that they encountered Ryuu and Taka, the leaders of the dragons and true fire bending masters.

Descendents of Ra, the ancient dragon who empowered Izu, Ryuu and Taka had watched over the Sun Empire for decades, waiting for he who would be called "the Lord of Fire" to appear and lead the people as Agni intended. When the Avatar was born onto the world, they knew it to be a sign of the change they had waited for. The Dragons revealed that a Mystic from the Chakra Empire had murdered the true Kaiju long ago and assumed his identity to lead the Sun Empire to destruction. He had stolen the eggs and caused many dragons to break away and declare war upon the Sun Warriors. If both races destroyed one another, fire bending would cease to exist. They also revealed that Gaia was having her strength drained by the Mystic using the Chi Stealing technique and would need immediate help if she was to survive. They surrounded Gaia and Zorin and breathed multicolored flames around them, enveloping their bodies. The two instantly felt strength and knowledge flow through their very beings and when the ritual ended both had been reborn. Gaia was now stronger than ever and possessed the gift of fire bending while Zorin was now as strong as a hundred Sun Warriors. When the young man asked why he had been given such a gift, the dragons said it was destiny itself at work.

They confronted the Sages in their temple the next day and were rebuffed. Kaiju accused Gaia of making up stories to blame someone for her failure as a fire bender and sent the Avatar into a rage. She used her fire bending for the first time and attacked her former sifu, revealing his true form as the Mystic called Amos. Amos confessed to everything but also revealed that the Fire Sages had joined him willingly in exchange for being remade into energy benders and given seats of power in Oni's empire.

Zorin became enraged at this revelation and to everyone's shock, challenged all the remaining sages to an Agni Kai atop the dormant volcano. It was an immense battle witnessed by Gaia, the captive Amos, and Sun Warrior and dragon alike. The exact details of the duel are unknown but in the end, the Sages were beaten and Zorin was crowned the first Fire Lord, the beginning of a monarchy that would begin the Sun Empire's transformation into the modern Fire Nation. The volcano where Zorin was crowned would become the new capital.

Gaia stayed in the new Fire Nation for some time after that, completely mastering fire bending and helping to find the surviving dragon eggs. She also found out about Zorin's crush on her and though she regretfully told him that her duties prevented them from being more than friends, she promised that their friendship would endure for a thousand lifetimes, a promise that continued down through the Avatar Cycle and the Fire Lord line. As Gaia prepared to leave and master air bending, she was shocked to find Amos wished to join her. He regretted following On's commands and wished to return to the old ways of balance and peace. Sensing the sincerity of his words and knowing that having an energy bender to advise her of her enemy's power was wise, the Avatar agreed and the two set off in search of Air Nomads, a task easier said than done.

AN: So sorry for the very long wait. Faster updates from now on, I promise! Special thanks to Silver Omega 01, Thestorywizard, Jonesman2007, and Atomic psychology. Their fics rock! Also, fans of Silver's LOK fic "The First Avatar" should check out "the legend of the kami and the hunt", the unofficial sequel by Dannydelafunk.


	11. Book 2: Gaia chaptet 4:storm

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 2: Gaia

Chapter 4: Storm

Oogleo journeyed to the far South next, making several stops along the way. All air benders were nomads after all and they could not be found in one nation alone. During these travels, Amos taught Gaia all he knew about chakras and how they enabled energy bending . Using this knowledge, Gaia was able to enhance her own bending since energy bending was the basis of all modern bending arts. She soon developed seismic sense like a badger mole and could will her fire bending to be hotter and stronger, making her flame blue in the process. She also discovered that lightning was ionized fire and could soon generate it with ease. As Gaia developed these new skills however, Amos grew worried that she could be consumed by the vast power she commanded.

"You command elements of power and tenacity but you must remember to temper these things with gentleness and a peaceful mind" Amos advised her "you were made to balance the world but you must remember that you are the world incarnate. If you yourself are unbalanced ,you have already failed."

They eventually came to a village in the small nation of Peilo, just across from Del. The Chakra Empire had launched attacks there in the past but each time, they had been repelled by a demon who could summon a powerful wind storm. This same demon had launched attacks on several Chakra Empire outposts in the past several months and was already becoming something of a legend to the people. Gaia suspected this to be an Air Nomad and spoke with Venshu on the subject but the Air Spirit dismissed it.

"The Air Nation would never seek conflict by actively joining the war. Their involvement has so far been limited to offering shelter to injured soldiers and war refugees. I suggest you investigate these incidents however as they may lead you to an air bending master." Gaia took this advice and the next night when a Chakra Empire ship neared the village, Oogleo burst from the depths and the Avatar leaped off her animal guide's back onto the enemy vessel.

The dual bending of the Avatar easily took down the first dozen or so Chi Warriors but when Sonja was revealed as the captain of the ship, things took a turn for the worst. She had grown stronger since the battle in the Si Wong desert and easily went toe to toe with Gaia despite the later's enhanced skills. Gaia would have been defeated that day had a great wind storm not attacked the ship at that very moment and the one the people called "the Wind Rider" appeared from above, landing onto the deck with in a fighting stance .

His features were covered by a hooded cloak that only enhanced the mystery about him . He commanded raging winds easily, using them to scatter Chi Warriors and beat them without even touching them. Sonja turned away from Gaia to confront her new foe with Dual Chi Swords only to find herself missing every strike as he nimbly evaded her every attack. When the High General was close enough however, she was met with a massive air blast to the face that knocked her off the ship and into the sea, or would have had she not teleported away at the last second.

The recovered Gaia was amazed and moved to thank her new ally when he turned to attack her! On reflex ,the Avatar attacked with fire bending, burning his cloak and revealing a long blue arrow tattooed on his arm. Something in Gaia clicked and she suddenly knew what the markings meant. "Those are Air Nomad markings" she exclaimed as she grabbed the exposed arm to examine it "you're an Air Bender!" The Wind Rider roughly pulled his arm free and hit Gaia with an air blast, though weaker than his attack on Sonja. The Avatar was knocked to the floor as her mysterious air bender pulled out a long staff and extended glider wings from it. While the first generation of Air Nomads could fly as freely as the Sky Bison from which they were taught, succeeding generations eventually lost the ability to fly unaided perhaps due to slightly weaker spiritual bonds with their Bison companions. To remedy this, a particularly inventive Air Nomad created the first glider staff and the Air Nomads have used them ever since.

Gaia attempted to stop the Wind Rider but it was too late. He had already taken flight and vanished into the clouds. Determined not to lose the bending teacher she had searched weeks for, the Avatar mounted Oogleo and followed the Wind Rider across the sea. When Amos awoke the next morning at the inn where he and Gaia were staying, he was enraged at what she had done but prayed to the Spirits that she would be returned safely.

When Gaia reached Del, Venshu's voice sounded in her head. "I admit you were right" he said reluctantly "but this Nomad may be a rogue and after what happened with the Fire Sages , you shouldn't take chances. I suggest seeking out the Air Temple and finding a master there." "But you said yourself that they would never get involved in the war and probably won't teach someone who intends to fight in it" Gaia argued and Venshu sighed. "As a keeper of balance, it will sometimes be necessary to perform actions that mortals may not find completely ethical."

To this end, Gaia approached the Air Temple and claimed to be an air bender born a few villages over who had come to seek instruction. As male and female Air Nomads had not yet separated in those days, most were born in what was then the only Air Temple but on rare occasion, air benders could be born in other places around Del. The saying was "we never stay in one place so why be born in one place?" After the separation of the temples ,which will be spoken of later, foundling air benders became more common.

Gaia was accepted but much like Avatar Korra, air bending proved a challenge. The art required her to abandon all she had been taught previously. With earth bending, she was taught to stand firm and face all opposition head on while fire bending taught her to embrace her emotions and let them fuel her but air bending was about remaining free from earthly ties while avoiding and evading conflict. Learning to use these vastly different elements together seemed impossible and the Elementals were no help. "The Elements are all part of a whole" they all said "finding balance between them is just another part of being the Avatar."

Despite her difficulties, Gaia had made many friends amongst the Air Nation. The monks were friendly and fun loving and their vegetarian ways matched her own but there was one amongst them who simply refused her company. This was Tizu, a very powerful air bender who mostly kept to himself anyway but made special effort to avoid the Avatar. It was almost as though he knew of her deception and was sending her a silent warning to watch her step. For her part, Gaia could not help but feel she knew him from somewhere.

One night as Gaia was on her way to bed, she passed by Tizu's room and was amazed to see him dawn the cloak of the Wind Rider and fly off into the night. Now it all made sense! She had heard the Air Nomads gossip about how the Chakra Empire was attacking their neighbors and slowly making their way towards Del. While the Wind Priest and elder monks said that the violence of the world was not their concern, Tizu had always burned with a desire to aid those in need despite his people's pacifist ways.

Gaia confronted him when he returned and after revealing the truth about herself, a deal was made. The Avatar would keep Tizu's secret in exchange for Tizu's help with air bending. He helped her truly understand that Air was the element of freedom and to master it, she needed to free herself. Gaia did this by clearing her mind of the burden of her mission and thinking of what brought her joy and happiness. Memories of her parents filled her mind and as she felt uplifted in spirit, she found herself uplifted literally by a swirl of air.

Gaia went on to master air bending soon after but on the day she was to receive her arrows, an emergency forced her to use earth bending and reveal her identity. The Wind Priest was outraged even as the Avatar tried to explain her mission would bring peace. So strict were the Air Nomad's principles in those days that even fighting in self defense was frowned upon greatly.

Before the Wind Priest could pass judgment however, an energy dagger flew out from one of the monk's robes and pierced his heart. Before everyone's horrified eyes, said monk transformed into Captain Neo, a low ranking Chakra Empire soldier. Neo was aiming to capture Gaia and replace Sonja as Oni's High General. After two defeats at the Avatar's hand and being beaten by an inferior Element Bender, she had fallen out of her master's good graces and was now undergoing a Chi Rape,one of Oni's cruelest techniques, as punishment .

Neo's troops appeared in the temple and attacked the Air Nomads without mercy. Their usual methods of avoid and evade were useless against the ancient fighting techniques of the energy benders. It was not until Tizu and Gaia began fighting back that the tides began to turn. "Peace will always be the right way but sometimes one must fight to protect it!" Tizu yelled to his brothers and sisters "just as Appalo, the first Air Nomad, fought to free his people, so should we fight to protect the peace for ourselves and others!"

The Air Nomads saw wisdom in Tizu's word and began fighting alongside their comrades. Tizu in particular debuted some new and more aggressive air bending moves such as the Air Sword, Air Daggers, and the Storm Bending he developed as the Wind Rider. These same techniques would one day be used by Avatar Yangchen, a direct descendent of Tizu.

With his troops beaten, Neo was left to face Gaia alone and was beaten very quickly, being sent flying through the air by a mini tornado and then captured in an earth column as he landed. The Captain remained confident however as he proclaimed "this war has only just began Avatar! You alone cannot hope to defeat Oni for his is a power feared by even the strongest of Spirits! He shall conquer this world and then rip open the next with his might and slay Brykus as he was slain eons ago! ALL WILL BE REMADE IN HIS IMAGE AND HE AND ALONE SHALL RULE THE UNIVERSE!"

Ignoring Neo's ramblings, Gaia left him in the Air Nomads' hands in the hopes that their teaching could rehabilitate him. She was aware however that he was right about her needing help to defeat Oni. Tizu, as the new Wind Priest, promised to lend Air Nation support when the time was right. Gaia returned to Amos after many weeks and the Old Mystic revealed that he had foreseen the final battle in a vision:a massive army of Benders from each Elemental Nation being lead by Gaia against Oni's legions. To this end, Amos decided to travel back to the Fire Nation and Earth Continent to gather allies. He also admitted to hearing that Oma's ancestor was also named Amos and was curious to see if this Amos had been descended from him. The two friends parted ways after this and Gaia began the long journey North to master her final element: water.

AN: Sorry for yet another long wait but only a few more chapters of Book 2 to go! Special Thanks to Siver Omega 01 {who also developed Storm bending}, thestorywizard, Atomic psychology, Jonesman2007,and everyone else.


	12. Book 2: Gaia chapter 5: Ice

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 2: Gaia

Chapter 5: Ice

Gaia's final journey would take her to the farthest reaches of the globe. She traveled from Nation to Nation, turning a blind eye to Oni's tyranny no matter how much it pained her. Until she became a fully realized Avatar, she wouldn't dare fight Chakra Empire forces unless they attacked her as in the past.

During her travels, she noticed that Spirits had begun causing havoc in certain Nations. "On's resurrection has tilted the scales of life and death" the Elementals explained "our siblings are upset by the imbalance and taking it out on the mortal world. It shall be your duty as a fully realized Avatar to restore the balance and make peace between the two worlds." Gaia took in all that she saw and strengthened her resolve. She would master her final Element and defeat Oni or die trying!

When Gaia finally reached the Water Tribe, she found herself surrounded by men armed with spears and boomerangs strapped to their backs. Their tan faces were contorted into masks of anger and suspicion. "Halt! No outsider has found our Tribe in over a century, much less a woman. Who are you female and where is your husband?"

"I have no husband" the Avatar replied calmly despite her irritation at the man's tone "I am Gaia and it is imperative that I speak with your leader." Each warrior let out a hearty laugh at this and Gaia felt her temper rise. If not for her Air Nomad teachings, she would have started a brawl right there. "No woman enters the Chief's palace unless they are to marry" the lead warrior explained as he eyed Gaia lustfully "but perhaps if you accompanied me then…" A growl broke the lead warrior's advances and Gaia smirked. "As I said, I've no husband but I do have a partner." With a mighty roar, Oogleo burst from the waves and glared menacingly at the warriors, who paled. "As I was saying, right this way m'lady."

Gaia soon stood in the Chieftan's hall, being eyed condescendingly by Chief Koluk IV and his Council. "So female, you claim that other nations posses the power of bending and you were chosen by the spirits to master them all and defeat some Emperor from eons past?" Gaia nodded, disgusted at being talked down to but keeping her tone respectful as she said "with your permission great Chief, I request to learn water bending from your warriors."

"No woman has ever been taught water bending" Koluk replied "and your ridiculous story cannot convince me otherwise. Why would any Spirit choose a female to wield that kind of power?" "Wasn't the first water bender a woman named Mara?" Gaia asked evenly as she recalled legends from her childhood.

"a mere rumor" Koluk scoffed "Mara was an improper, rebellious excuse of a woman who defied our customs and brought down the wrath of the Spirits upon our land with her stupidity. If not for her husband, Koluk I's wisdom and bravery, we would have died ages ago. I will not let an outsider defy our traditions but if you must learn from us, you may stay and learn some skills that may one day fetch you a husband."

Gaia was shaking with fury by now. This was one obstacle she was not prepared for. She couldn't even convince them that Oni was real because of the Tribe's isolation from the rest of the world. The Avatar was about to prove them wrong with a display of fire bending when Sedna spoke within her mind. "A threat that may be even more dangerous than Oni just became known to my senses" the Water Spirit said with a note of urgency "you must accept his invitation and investigate. You will find a master when the time is right."

Gaia obeyed and reluctantly accepted Koluk's offer. She spent the next few weeks helping the women of the Tribe perform daily chores for the village and listening to rumors that caught her interest. As it turned out, Koluk was a tyrant much like his forefathers, who ran the tribe with an iron fist and oppressed men & women alike with his laws. Few defied him however for those that did met a horrible fate at the hands of Lycanus,a spirit many called "the great Shadow Wolf."

When Gaia first heard the spirit's name, this stirred something within her and she felt the need to speak to Sedna. The Water Spirit revealed that Lycanus was a spirit that dated back to the early days of the Chakra Brotherhood. Every full moon, the Great Shadow Wolf would emerge from the Spirit World to ravage the land and any Mystic sent to make peace with him was slaughtered. After the death of female Mystic named Revana, her brother Demoni took action by combining both Chi Warrior and Mystic techniques to create a trap for the Spirit and seal him underground for the rest of eternity. The land where Lycanus was buried went on to eventually become the North Pole and future Water Tribe lands.

Gaia was disturbed by this story to say the least. If Koluk had indeed freed such a powerful Spirit and learned to control it ,the world would be in even greater danger if the corrupt Chief planned to go to war with the energy benders. The Avatar decided then and there that she could no longer put off learning water bending and began spying on the various classes , commiting every motion and form to memory until she could perform them just as well as any of the masters who would have refused her .

A few nights later, Gaia was finally ready to test her abilities on a stream near the village. The Avatar had chosen a night when the moon was full and water bending was said to be at it's strongest. It was also said to be the night that Lycanus was sent after Koluk's enemies. Gaia planned to confront the evil spirit that very night and free the Water Tribe from their Chief's tyranny. She was certain that even her beginner's water bending would be enough to win as long as she had three other fully mastered bending arts to use in her arsenal.

As the moon rose high above her, Gaia felt power surge through her being. She had just began practicing some basic forms when the moon suddenly turned blood red. The Avatar could feel Tui trying to warn her of a approaching evil as the shadows surrounding her grew darker and seemed to come alive. That's when she heard the howl.

The wind began swirling around her as the howl continued and Gaia could see the shadows start to merge into a massive shape with red glowing eyes. These eyes belonged to a giant wolf with onyx fur and massive fangs that looked as sharp as the ice upon which the monstrous spirit stood. No doubt, this was Lycanus himself. Riding atop him was Koluk, the hate in his eyes matching the spirit's own.

"So female, you dare to defy me and practice water bending?" The corrupt Chief sneered "You'll face the wrath of Spirits for this! "How are you controlling him?" Gaia asked "a spirit as powerful as Lycanus would never allow a mortal to command him even if he did owe you his freedom." Koluk laughed. "I didn't free him you foolish woman, he came to me and pledged his loyalty. He is a gift from Tui and La as a reward to my family for so wisely leading my Tribe and I shall soon lead the world with Lycanus at my side."

"Tui and La disagree" Gaia replied as she attacked her foes with water bending. Her attacks were aggressive but her lack of skill was apparent as Lycanus easily countered them The Avatar attempted to use other elements but found she could not earth bend in snow and the shadows formed around Lycanus to block flames and wind. She was soon forced to run as Koluk and his beast gave chase.

They went far beyond the Water Tribe away from most inhabitable areas of the North. Gaia used air bending to increase her speed but the Great Shadow Wolf remained on her heels with Koluk's laughter ringing in her ears. Just as Lycanus was about to pounce however, a great dome of ice suddenly surrounded Gaia's body. The Great Shadow Wolf struck the dome but was knocked back and just barely landed on it's feet. Gaia was confused. Who did that?

As the dome dissolved, Gaia heard a strong female voice call out "this one's too important to end up a toy for your pet Koluk!" Both the Avatar and her foes turned to see a Water Tribe girl of around eighteen standing before them. She was not like the others though as she was clad in the clothes of a warrior and even had a boomerang strapped to her back. Her eyes burned with a courageous fire and her hair was set in distinctive loops that would one day become popular among Water Tribe women.

"You, a woman dare not only practice water bending but defy the will of your Chief!? Koluk snarled "Lycanus will feast on you both tonight!" "You are not my Chief" the mystery girl replied firmly and further astounded Gaia by pulling water from the air and bending it into a spear of ice. She hurled it directly at Lycanus and actually managed to strike the Spirit in the face, enraging it.

The Avatar was instantly reminded of her meeting with Tizu as she watched her new ally duke it out with Lycanus and Koluk. The female water bender performed techniques that allowed her to also bend water in the form of ice and snow, even turning her own breath into a weapon against the ancient spirit. Unlike her meeting with Tizu however, Gaia did not sit on the sidelines and began attacking with fire bending the minute that she saw an opening. Lycanus and his master soon retreated ,vowing vengeance as they vanished into the night. The young woman then turned to Gaia and asked "you are the Avatar?" Gaia nodded. "I can give you the help you need. Follow me."

Though surprised, the Elementals told Gaia to follow her new ally for several miles more until they came to what looked like a cave opening. But once they were inside, it was revealed to be a vast cavern covered in ice with big holes in the that showed pools of water. But what really shocked the Avatar was seeing a vast number of women and several men practice the same style of water bending as the mystery girl. "Welcome Avatar, to our hideaway" the mystery girl announced "and yours too as long as it takes you to master water bending." "Who are you?" "I am Hamaka, great grand daughter of Renaq and we are the Children of Mara."

Hamaka explained the true story of Mara and how her son Renaq vowed revenge on Koluk I for her death. He discovered the great cavern and spent many years perfecting his skills. He eventually began launching attacks on Koluk in secret to bring the tyrant down for good and even begin enlisting students to aid him, one of which became his wife and the mother of his daughters. Renaq's descendents and students warred against Koluk's line for generations but when the current Koluk discovered Lycanus, they were forced to end their campaign. Hamaka's parents were the first to fall when she was just a little girl. It was not until the spirit of Renaq himself appeared to tell of the Avatar's coming that the small band felt hope again.

Hearing this, Gaia felt new determination swell within her. She studied diligently under Hamaka until she had fully mastered her style of water bending and even developed a technique to heal with her knowledge of chi. The Avatar taught this new technique to any water bender present who wished to avoid violence but was still dedicated to the cause. In this way, Gaia reminded everyone that bending was more than just a combat skill but a way of connecting with the elements themselves.

Meanwhile. Koluk was on a warpath. Determined to find the woman of his tribe who dared to attack him, he set his warriors and Lycanus upon village after village in the North. Any woman of any age who was found to have kept their water bending a secret was sacrificed to the Shadow Wolf. Any who protested shared the same fate.

When word of this atrocity reached Gaia and the Children of Mara, they began planning an all out assault on Koluk. A large group of warriors would launch attacks on occupied villages with healers providing support while Gaia and Hamaka invaded the Chieftan's hall where Koluk always stayed.

The plan was swift and precise and while many gave their lives to the cause that day, many also lived thanks to Gaia's healing technique. The final battle came when Gaia and Hamaka burst into the Chieftan's hall to demand Koluk's surrender. While the warriors and benders on the Council moved to defend their leader, their bodies and pride received a beating as two women effortlessly defeated them all. Koluk was now alone.

The corrupt Chief began to panic. He couldn't bend and his skills as a warrior had faded from years of neglect. With no choice left, he summoned Lycanus but to everyone's shock, the evil spirit betrayed his master and killed him before vanishing in a swirl of shadow. No one knew what to make of the scene but it was clear the battle was won.

A great celebration was held the next day but things quickly soured when the new Chief proclaimed that women were still unable to practice traditional water bending and could only make use of it to serve as Healers. He reasoned that while Koluk I and his descendents were tyrants, they wouldn't have become so if Mara had not broken traditions. Hamaka was infuriated that all they had done had accomplished nothing and proclaimed that she and her followers would leave the North Pole to create a new Tribe governed by the principles that Mara attempted to teach to a pig headed and sexist society.

Many other men and women of the North sided with Hamaka and left the North with her. Gaia was asked to come but she declined as her destiny laid elsewhere. Before she departed on Oogleo however, the Avatar told her friend to never lose hope. "Water is the element of change" she said "but some changes take far longer than we like. The North will see the light one day and I have a feeling your descendents will be the cause. Farewell Chief Hamaka of the Southern Tribe."

With that, Gaia departed towards what she thought was the battle with Oni but the Elementals stopped her. "You are not yet ready" Sedna told her "though you have mastered the Elements, your training is not yet complete. You must master your skill as a bridge between worlds and then, unlock the full extent of your power to become a fully realized Avatar. Gaia was confused. "But I have mastered every Element and even developed new bending techniques, what more could there be?" "The Elemental State."

AN: To my surprise, I finished today after all. Special thanks to my reviewers.


	13. Book 2: Gaia chapter 6: Avatar

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 2: Gaia

Chapter 6: Avatar

Gaia soon learned that she had thus far only be using small portion of the Elemental's powers to bend all four elements but channeling all of their power was possible if all seven of her chakras were opened. The first four of these were directly linked to the Elements and could only be open within the Elemental Realms of the Spirit World, which Gaia would have to learn how to enter if she wished to accomplish anything. Her previous meeting with all four Elementals had actually taken place in her mind.

Stopping at a lone island on her journey, Gaia was shocked to discover it was the site of the Chakra Brotherhood's former temple. Inside the ruins was a vast library filled with scrolls depicting energy bending moves. Some were moves she had seen Chi Warriors use while others made her actually thankful she was not facing anyone other than Oni. What most interested the Avatar were the Mystic techniques for astral projection.

By combining these with some Air Nomad meditation techniques, Gaia was finally able to enter and leave the Spirit World. At first, she would fade in and out if her thoughts wondered for even a second but after several days of trying, she soon mastered entering and exiting the Spirit World at will. With the second aspect of being the Avatar mastered, Gaia could now turn her attention to mastering the Elemental State. She first returned to the Spirit World and with help from a rather grumpy monkey Spirit named Enma, found the Elemental Realms.

Her first stop was Terra's Earth Realm. It was here that she encountered her fear of her own power and confronted it, opening the Earth Chakra in her spine. Gaia then moved to Sedna's Water Realm where she dealt with the guilt of killing her parents and destroying her home when her power awakened. She accepted that her power was vast and what happened was meant to show her the importance of control. The Water Chakra in her sacrum then opened. In Agni's Fire Realm, Gaia opened the Fire Chakra in her stomach by dealing with the shame of ignoring so much suffering on her way North. She realized that she couldn't be responsible for every loss in the war with Oni and only her fully realized abilities would make a difference. Finally, she entered Venshu's Air Realm to opened her heart's Air Chakra. She dealt with the long ignored grief of her parents death and saw that her love for them remained in the form of her love for the Nations she visited and what she learned from them.

With her Elemental Chakras unlocked, the final three lay before her. Gaia journeyed to the farthest reaches of the Spirit World where Brykus himself dwelled. The Grand Spirit was delighted to see His children again in one form or another and agreed to help in their trial. First was the Sound Chakra in Gaia's throat. She had often told herself she wasn't human as a child and still believed this even now but Brykus knew that as the embodiment of the world and by extension it's people, she was in many ways more human than anyone. Once Gaia accepted this truth, only two Chakras remained.

The Light Chakra in Gaia's forehead was unlocked when she realized that the Elements were parts of a whole and as the Avatar , she personified this concept. Oddly enough, nearly every Avatar after would gain this same insight in one way or another. Finally, there was the Thought Chakra in the crown of her head. With Brykus' urging, Gaia cleared her mind completely, detaching herself from all things and allowing pure cosmic energy to flow through her being.

Back in the physical world, Gaia's eyes shot open and glowed pure white. She grew at least seven feet tall and her body turned to solid stone while her hair morphed into flame. Swirls of wind gathered around her arms and legs while ice shards shot out of her shoulders and traveled down her back. This was the Elemental State, Gaia's true form as the Spirit of the world. Her bending was increased a hundred fold as the knowledge and power of the Elementals entered her body.

Gaia returned to her body at that moment and reverted to her normal form right before blacking out. When she awoke ,she was shocked at what she now wore. She had always dressed in simple clothes befitting a farmer's daughter and only made the exception of wearing Air Nomad Robes when she lived among them. Now, she was dressed in flowing robes that held the colors of every Elemental Nation and a medallion with the symbols of all four elements was around her neck.

"You are now truly the Avatar" the voice of Brykus himself spoke "the four elements and the ability to use the Elemental State are now completely at your disposal. Go forth and bring balance back to the world." Oogleo emerged from the waves at that moment and Gaia mounted him with a joyous whoop, using water bending to increase their speed as they raced towards destiny.

The next few years passed like a blur as Gaia traveled from Nation to Nation defeating Chakra Empire Forces and calming angry Spirits, only using the Elemental State to deal with the truly tough foes. The legend of the Avatar began to grow and Emperor Oni soon met resistance as others began fighting back against him. The ancient art of Chi-blocking was rediscovered and scores of talented martial artists and weapon masters began cropping up in the Nations against the energy bender regime. Gaia was proud to know she inspired even non-benders but knew that only the Elemental Nations stood a chance against Oni.

Eventually, the time of the final battle drew near and using air bending, Gaia sent a message along the four winds. South, East, and West were told to summon allies while North delivered a warning to Oni that his end was coming.

On a barren continent, far past the Northern Water Tribe and just across from the capital of Oni's empire, they came together. Oma and a group of her finest students from the Earth Continent arrived by ship along with Amos, Oma's multiple-great grandfather as it turned out. This was followed by Chief Hamaka and her warriors from the still growing Southern Water Tribe as they rode the waves to their destination. Sky Bisons and dragons filled the air as an older and wiser Fire Lord Zorin and Wind Preist Tizu landed before one another with their respective armies. Among Tizu's group was Neo, now known as Monk Rao. He had indeed been healed by the teachings of the Air Nomads and converted his energy bending into air bending as a testament to his redemption. This was the first time in history that the people of the Elemental Nations beheld one another outside of myth and rumor but little is known of what was said or their impressions upon one another. All they knew was that they were united by a common purpose and a mutual friend.

Gaia appeared on Oogleo moments later and greeted them all. Years of training and discipline had lead up to this day and the Avatar knew in her heart of hearts that those who stood beside her at that moment were the ones she would die for. Before the battle began, Amos took his old pupil aside and told her that he would not be joining her in battle. "I am no warrior" the Mystic said "all I have ever been able to offer is wisdom and that is what I offer you now."

Amos places a hand on the Avatar's forehead and performed one final technique to transfer his energy bending abilities and the knowledge to use them to her. The power of all five bending arts now resided in one being. The now non bender spoke not a word and began walking back towards his ship when Gaia asked "why?" "Those with true power are those who know the right way to use it." He would sail back to the Earth Continent soon after to pass down his knowledge of chakras and spiritual matters, creating a dynasty of Gurus dedicated to helping the Avatar.

Her determination strengthened by Amos' faith, Gaia prepared the Four Armies for battle. They descended upon Oni's fortress like lightning as scores of energy benders appeared to face them. Men and women, Chi Warrior and Mystic alike had pledged unyielding loyalty to Emperor Oni and the Avatar respected them for that even as she engaged them in battle.

While her army battled Oni's forces, Gaia infiltrated her enemy's palace intent on finishing him once and for all. She was first met however by Sonja, now a mindless killing machine thanks to Oni's Chi Rape. The former High General had foregone her usual style of armed combat and was ready to kill her foe with her bare hands, her body already pulsing with the aura of the Chi Boost technique.

Sonja charged forward at superhuman speed only to have Gaia disappear underground with earth bending and appear behind her foe to fire a bolt of lightning at her back. Sonja responded with a roundhouse kick but only hit Gaia's earth wall. The Avatar lowered her barrier in time to debut the Breath of fire technique she learned while watching the Dragons and send Sonja reeling back with scars on her face. She then blocked the former High General's Chi Wave by creating a barrier of wind with her air bending and used water bending's octopus form to pin her to a wall and froze the tendrils to suspend her there.

Gaia normally would have been ecstatic but something wasn't right. She had just taken down the second most powerful energy bender ever without taking a single hit. With her foe in such an enraged state,this was far too easy. She got her answer when Sonja's mouth opened and Lycanus leaped at her in a swift, horrifying motion.

As Gaia struggled with the Spirit, Oni himself appeared. He revealed that Sonja had died months ago and Lycanus was operating her body abelt rather poorly to spring this little trap. He also revealed that the energy bender who first imprisoned the dark spirit was his mentor and it was he who freed the Great Shadow Wolf to serve Koluk until his true master returned for him. It was Oni's initial plan to wipe out the Water Tribe with Lycanus and claim the power of the Spirit Oasis but Gaia coming into the world ruined all that.

Oni continued to taunt his enemy as the Avatar struggled with the Great Shadow Wolf. It seemed the Avatar had met her end until she revealed she was now an energy bender as well. All things, even Spirits are made up of some form of energy and using a variation of Oni's appropriately named Spirit Bending technique, Gaia was able to drain away the Cosmic energy that made up Lycanus until he faded out of existence.

Oni became enraged that the art of energy bending was now in his enemy's hands and proceeded to utilize a devastating technique that caused him to absorb all chi within a hundred miles. Gaia watched in horror as her allies and enemies alike were drained until they aged and died in a matter of minutes, followed by the plants and animals.

The Chakra Emperor grew nine feet tall and his muscles bulged as they burst out of his armor. A monstrous aura of chi surrounded his body and his eyes glowed with pure power. Oni was now at the height of his power but Gaia was not afraid. She calmly entered the Elemental State and charged into the ultimate battle.

The battle of the Four Elements and energy bending ripped the very world in half. Gaia and Oni used every move and technique their respective bending arts afforded them, each increased a hundred fold by their enhanced states. Whole continents were destroyed and others were consumed by the ocean waves never to be seen again. As Del found itself wiped off the map, the land upon which the Air Temple was built broke off and floated it was a few miles south of the Earth Continent. By the time the battle had reached it's climax, all that remained of the world was the Four Nations we know today.

Gaia ended the battle at last by once again using one of Oni's techniques. She absorbed all the chi she could into an immense attack combining the power of all four elements. The Chakra Emperor was obliterated completely, as was even his Spirit. He no longer existed in the physical world or the afterlife of the Spirit World.

Gaia reverted to her normal form and passed out on the Earth Continent shore. She awoke hours later to find her allies resurrected due to Oni's death. The Avatar grieved that she had wiped out her enemies but also most of the world in the process. She vowed to protect the remaining Four Nations with all her might and she did.

While it is often said that in addition to her massive feet, Avatar Kyoshi was the longest lived Avatar,this is only true within the time that the Avatar Cycle existed. Gaia the First lived for over one thousand years, defeating threats, halting wars ,and helping the Four Nations develop and be at peace. It was shortly after On's defeat that Oma passed away due to old age. She had long ago recounciled with her son Shang and left Omashu in his hands. At Gaia's urging, he made the decision to create a new Capital City for the Earth Nation.

Shang had his mother buried with Shu in what is now the Cave of Two Lovers and lead his people to a new life of protection and security. Along the way, they built new grand cities in the place of villages and turned the once simple Earth Continent into the mighty Earth Kingdom. Shang would rule the new land as the First Earth King from the newly constructed Ba Sing Se, built by Gaia herself to be almost invincible.

The Avatar also retained her bond with the Fire Nation Royal Family. She acted as a mother figure to Fire Lord Zorin's son Riku after the first Fire Lady's death and even taught the young boy fire bending, teaching her lightning generation move to him and his descendents. For all her life, Gaia kept the balance and never showed a day of her age. She felt empty inside however for despite her wisdom and power, she lacked any lasting pleasure in her life.

For centuries, Gaia had watched friends and loved ones die around her. She had never know the joy of a family of her own and often dreamed at night of a husband's comfort and children to teach and love. Brykus himself had said she was as human as anyone but she felt denied of the life she wished to live. She begged the Grand Spirit to release her from her duties but balance must be kept so the benevolent spirit made a compromise: Gaia would be allowed to die but her true Avatar Spirit would live on to seek a new host from the Four Nations and create a new Avatar to assume her duties. This new Avatar would be allowed what Gaia was denied and once their life was over, a new Avatar would be born again and again to keep balance for all time. In order for this to work however, Gaia would have to give up the power of the Elemental State and energy bending. Her successors would be unable to handle such power.

Gaia gladly accepted and as she did, beheld a vision of her many successors. Avatar Aang and Avatar Korra stood out most in her mind. When the vision ended, she summoned Oogleo to say good bye. She told her trusted animal guide of her decision and bestowed upon him a gift for his centuries of companionship by restoring his lost energy bending. "One day, the Avatar Line will need energy bending again" she prophicized "you must decide who among them is worthy."

With this said, the last Lion-Turtle vanished into the mist and Gaia smiled as her mortal form crumbled into dust. All over the world, her passing was sensed as fires died out, the oceans froze, the Earth became sand, and the wind simply stopped. For several minutes, things remained this way until the Avatar Spirit itself arose from Gaia's ashes and the world resumed it's natural order. The Avatar Spirit traveled the world looking a suitable host until it settled on the Air Temple. It was there that it remained hidden for over a century until finally possessing an Air Nomad that was just being born. Thus, the Avatar Cycle began.

Avatar Extras:

This story was inspired by Avatar: Energy Saga by Avatar Roku's Ghost.

Hamaka is Katara and Sokka's ancestor.

The idea of multiple nations existing at first was to make the Early Avatar world all the more unique and to dispel my own disbelief that it's so small that only four continents were formed after the end of it's Pangea era.

Guru Pathnik was the last person to learn Amos' teachings though his views regarding the Thought Chakra are slightly skewed.

Gaia cannot be contacted by any Avatar but as the Avatar Spirit itself, she does hold some influence apart from her hosts. It was she who implanted the knowledge of metal bending in Toph Bei Fong and unlocked Avatar Korra's air bending after Amon removed her other abilities. She has also guided several Avatars to their true loves but she has difficulty with Korra. She's still trying to get Bolin to give it another try and get Mako to disappear.

Gaia encountered Wan Shi Tong when he first entered the world and helped him stock his library. This included any documents related to energy bending she could rescue from the ocean floor.

All Lion-Turtle statues are actually of Oogleo. He aided Gaia in so many battles that she believed he deserves to be honored more than she. In fact, no monuments were ever made for her.

Gaia planted the mystic tree that grew into the Foggy Swamp.

So many legends existed of Gaia throughout her life that to this day ,no one knows much about the very first Avatar. Ironically, the Ember Island Players once put on a play that got most of it right.

The idea of the Elmental State came from the idea that the first Avatar didn't have it but also that the First Avatar's Avatar State was powered by spirits instead of past Avatars.

Brykus shares his name with Bryke,the nicknames for the Avatar franchise creators

An: Book 2 is Finally done! Only one more to go! Special thanks to my reviewers.


	14. Book 3: Cycles chapter 1: Avatar Beta

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 3: Cycles

Chapter 1: Avatar Beta and the Element War

A hundred years passed after Gaia's death and for a time ,all remained peaceful. It was not until the reign of Fire Lord Lee that the Spirits' initial fear of war between the Nations became a reality. It started out innocently enough when Fire Lord Lee arranged a meeting with the Chief of the Northern Water Tribe to discuss access to the Spirit Oasis. A plage had cropped up in several Fire Nation villages in recent months and was rapidly spreading through the larger cities and provinces. It was Lee's hope that the Oasis' mystic properties could help cure the disease before a mass outbreak occurred.

Chief Yuek was a gruff yet highly spiritual man with great respect for his patron Spirits. He believed that taking from the Oasis was an insult to Tui and La, especially when done by an outsider. The argument escalated from there and left Lee to angerly declare that he would take the Oasis by force if needed. These were empty words for Lee was a peaceful man by nature but also prideful. He returned to the Fire Nation and refused to negotiate any further even as the plague grew stronger.

It was not until Lee's wife, Fire Lady Ikira was killed by the plague that action was taken. Lee's eldest daughter Crown Princess Zenia decided to sneak out of the Fire Nation and try to convince Yuek to reconsider. General Kai, Fire Lord Lee's most trusted advisor and self appointed body guard to the royal family, spotted Zenia on her pet dragon and sent a small battalion of soldiers to follow her. This overprotective gesture held good intentions but would ultimately prove a costly mistake.

Kai's soldiers followed Zenia for days while avoiding detection but did not escape Yuek's eyes as the group finally approached the North Pole. Knowing the Fire Nation allowed women to serve in the military, Yuek wrongly assumed Zenia was leading an attack on her father's behalf. A counter attack was launched and in the confusion, Zenia was killed. Fire Lord Lee was enraged at the death of his daughter and declared war upon the Northern Water Tribe.

Around the same time, Earth King Ji was making plans of his own. He was a greedy and pompous man who always wanted more and his latest desire was to expand the Earth Kingdom's Southern territory. However, at the time this included the Air Nation territory, known as the Air Republic. The Air Republic consisted of the Air Temple where Air Nomads were born and raised as well as the villages they settled in along the lands after earning their arrows. They were farmers by trade, selling crops and donating profits to charity. When Ji's forces came, many of these villages met an end.

Wind Priest Rohan was outraged at the attacks on his people and had no intention of attempting peace. Unlike most Air Nomads, he was a man of foul temper and was not afraid to reject his culture's peaceful lifestyle. Despite protests ,he created an army of the strongest air benders and began attacks on Earth Kingdom territory and trade ships. Peaceful monks and farmers were taken from the villages and families and forced to aid their leader's campaign.

However. Earth King Ji was as stubborn as an Earth Bender despite not being one himself and resolved to fight back. He met with Fire Lord Lee and agreed to lend troops in the war with the Northern Water Tribe in exchange for Lee's help against the Air Nation. Because the plague had reduced his military by half, Lee agreed and in turn, Chief Yuek made peace with the Southern Tribe and combined their armies to fight back. The Four Nations were now locked in all out war with one another.

During the midst of the war, there was born an Air Nomad named Beta. Beta lived in an Air Nomad village far from the temple grounds and was largely unaware of the war that raged around him. His parents, two of the strongest air benders in the Republic, had moved as far away as possible to avoid the conflict and raise their son in the way of peace like a true Air Nomad. They had always known Beta was special but did not know exactly how so until he turned sixteen.

It was on this day that Beta would finally be old enough to learn air bending, While this custom would fade by Avatar Aang's day, it was thought back then that kids could not handle the power of bending responsibly. But the day soon took a dark turn when Rohan's elite soldiers came to forcibly draft the entire family.

A fight soon broke out and while Beta's father easily outfought them at first, he was unable to avoid an air dagger and collapsed lifelessly to the ground. Beta flew into a rage and shocked everyone ,including himself by fire bending at the soldiers. Beta's mother used the distraction to escape with her son on the family's Sky Bison Dui. They fled to the Earth Kingdom and went into hiding in a small village where they spent the next few months mourning a great husband and father.

For sometime after this, Beta found himself plagued by strange dreams of himself not only fire bending but earth and water bending too. Yet all his life, Beta had known he could bend air. More than one rather destructive sneezing fit had proven that. His mother suggested that he meditate on these dreams and find their meaning but this only caused them to become more vivid.

Finally, Beta's mother took him to Guru Ta'mik, a wise man more knowledgible on spiritual matters than most Air Nomads. Ta'mik read the young man's chi and asked him if he knew the legend of the Avatar. Beta replied that the entire world knew and some still prayed she would return to end the war. Ta'mik chuckled and said that she had but in another form. That was when Beta learned that he was Gaia reborn.

Whenever a new Avatar is first told their identity, the reactions have always been the same : shock disbelief, and fear. Interestingly, Beta was the only one besides Avatar Korra to subvert this. He accepted this as the only explanation for what he experienced and declared that he would avenge his father by restoring peace to the world. Ta'mik was elated and introduced the new Avatar to the Disciples of Gaia.

The Disciples were a secret order established by Gaia's teachers who had aided her in keeping balance. Ta'mik had seen the vision of the Avatar Cycle as a young man and pledged the Order to teach her reincarnation. There was Air Bending Master Hallo, Water bending master Virek, Earth Bending master Rin, and Princess Ro-mia, the sister of Zenia and youngest daughter of Fire Lord Lee. Each had broken away from their respective Nation to teach Beta and end the war with Ro-mia in particular wanting to stop her father's blind conquest.

Before lessons could begin however, Beta's mother intervened. She insisted that she would personally instruct her son in airbending. When Virek and Hallo protested and claimed she would be too soft on him, she proceed to thrash them both with a quick display of skill. She warned her son that it would not be an easy road however and that their relationship would have to change until it was done. "Today's the day I stop being your mother and become your sifu" she had said.

And so it was that Beta went on to master air within two years and water within three. As with every Air Nomad Avatar, earth bending proved a challenge and took four years for him to master but once all this was done, it only took one year to master fire. A now twenty six year old Beta was ready to end the war but did not know how until he entered meditation one night. While Gaia could not be summoned to converse with Beta, it is said that his predecessor whispered knowledge to him from within his very soul. By dawn's first light, the Second Avatar had his answer.

Beta and his allies flew to Ba Sing Se, where the four armies were set to clash in a final battle. The Second Avatar dove off his Sky Bison into the midst of battle and unleashed his power. There was no Avatar State then but being the first in the cycle made him stronger than his successors. He trapped the Air Nomads in solid rock and suspended the Earth benders in a massive tornado. He then froze the fire benders in solid ice that they were unable to melt and trapped the water benders with a massive wall of fire that drained all moisture in the air to prevent water bending.

"I am the new Avatar!" Beta announced "Gaia has been reborn in me and she is angry. She is angry that you have fallen out of balance and fallen victim to the illusion of separation. Are you so blinded by your differences that you have forgotten the very thing that Gaia embodied? All elements are part of a whole and until you connect with what you claim opposes you, you will be forever trapped here! With that, Beta flew off on Dui and left the four armies to contemplate his words.

It is unknown how long it took or who realized it first but eventually, the four armies connected with their opposite element and made peace. With the war ended, Fire Lord Lee was finally able to cure the plague with Spirit Oasis water and Earth King Ji ceased all expansion. Wind Priest Rohan was also removed from office and the position was terminated. Beta wished to promote harmony by ending the Air Republic and stabling Air Temples in the South, East and West. Each temple would be governed by a Council of Monks with Beta's mother and Hallo being some of the first to serve. The original Air Temple became the Southern Air Temple and would grow to be the most famous for birthing Avatar Aang.

Beta went to keep peace in the Four Nations for the rest of his life, watching Ro-Mia become the first female Fire Lord and helping prepare for the continuation of the Avatar Cycle. He developed ways for each Nation to determine an Avatar's identity, including carving the four special toys that would be used for choosing every Air Nomad Avatar. His last great deed before dying at the age of one hundred and five was to found the Order of the White Lotus. In this way, he hoped to expand the Disciples of Gaia into not only aid for the Avatar but a way for the philosophies of the world to come together in harmony,

AN: This will be the first chapter of Book 3 and the last until the holidays are over. Christmas Eve is tomorrow and I have a lot to do as I'm sure we all do. Special thanks and happy holidays to my reviewers.


	15. Book 3: Cycles chapter 2: Avatar Kenya

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 3: Cycles

Chapter 2: Avatar Kenya and the Faceless Legion

After the death of Avatar Beta, the cycle continued in the Water Tribe but no one knew which one. It only got worse when rumors started spreading about a third Water Tribe that had been founded in the Earth Kingdom's Foggy Swamp over a decade ago. The Order of the White Lotus decreed that the babies of both Tribes born a week after Beta's death would be brought to the Spirit Oasis and dipped in it's waters. If the baby had a reaction to the mystic oasis, the next Avatar was found.

The test took several weeks and dozens of babies were brought forward but eventually, one of them glowed when dipped into the blessed waters. The new Avatar was found and sixteen years later. It was time to face destiny. The Southern Water Tribe candidates had not passed the test so the Water Tribe Elders of the North got to announce it themselves. They gathered all prominent water benders in the Tribe and made them wait for their verdict outside the Chieftan's hall.

Among this gathering was a young man named Gahno who some said was born lucky. He had been deemed a water bending prodigy by the age of five and no one who entered the sparring circle with him left without a wounded body and pride. He was adored by women for his good looks and even Chief Sanooka's son was envious of him. It was no wonder why everyone, including Gahno himself, believed he was the new Avatar.

But few people knew of how cruel and selfish Gahno truly was, especially towards his girlfriend Kenya. Kenya was a skilled healer but she was very timid and more docile than even the average Northern Water Tribe girl and fell victim to much abuse. Her father had always wanted a warrior son and silently blamed her for causing his wife's death when she was born. His verbal abuse drove her to seek comfort from Gahno, who proved far less gentle than he first appeared.

He treated her like a slave, far worse than even the most sexist Water Tribesman of the day. He would even force her into the sparring circle and practice his bending on her, taunting her all the while. All this was kept secret from the Tribe thanks to Kenya's frequent self healing and Gahno's public facade of the doting boyfriend though there was always a silent warning in his eyes never to cross him. Her only true friend seemed to be Nanook, her Polar Leapord.

A week prior to the Avatar ceremony, Gahno presented her with a betrothal necklace before their entire village. He had promised to marry her after his return from his Avatar journey and while others rejoiced, Kenya was horrified. There was no way she could back out without aid from her father, who was happy to be rid of her and Gahno would hunt her down if she tried to flee. The nights afterwards were filled with nightmares of what awaited her, doomed to suffer at the hand of a wrathful Avatar and husband.

Kenya had been forced to attend the Avatar Ceremony by Gahno and stuck out as the only woman present. Even the mothers of the candidates weren't allowed there. Despite all efforts, women of the Northern Water Tribe were still treated unfairly and only a select few had been able to move to the Southern Tribe. It seemed Kenya was helpless to change her fate.

However, a shock came when Chief Sanooka and the Elders finally appeared. Each one had looks on their faces that said they had reached a decision but seemed unhappy with it's out come. Gahno stepped forward with a proud smile on his face, ready to have glory heaped upon him. This smile became a look of horror and outrage when the Elders brushed past him and announced that Kenya was the new Avatar.

No one could believe it, not even Kenya. Gaia's legend had been altered and revised so much since her death that the truth about the very first Avatar was shrouded in mystery, including the subject of gender. In the face of this revelation, Gahno went mad and attacked Kenya, revealing his true nature to all. He was restrained by Chief Sanooka's bending warriors and lead away but not before vowing revenge.

The next day, Kenya began her Avatar journey . Because even the Avatar was bound by tradition, she was sent to the Southern Tribe with Nanook to learn traditional water bending. The only thing she left behind was the betrothal necklace Gahno gave her.

In the Southern Tribe,she studied under Master Umya, a Northern born woman who had also migrated South to escape abuse. Umya was wise and helped Kenya see her own self worth and that Gahno and her father did not dictate her value as a human being. She was also full of lore many others had forgotten and inspired the Avatar with tales of Mara, Hamaka, and of course, Gaia herself. Kenya was soon inspired to use her position to help women back home.

In the Earth Kingdom, she studied under Master Flint, a hard nosed man who reminded Kenya of her father. His tough criticism and blunt remarks helped her learn assertiveness and after finally losing her temper and chewing him out, he declared her a master earth bender. Some say she even managed to frighten him a little.

Kenya next journeyed to the Fire Nation to learn fire bending under Fire Sage Rinzo. Like Avatar Korra, she came to favor the Element of Power and used it to release her pent up anger towards Gahno. Finally, she learned air bending under Sister Amu in the Eastern Air temple and made peace with the men in her life. At the end of five years, a stronger and more confident Kenya returned home as a fully realized Avatar.

But the moment that Kenya stepped onto the ice, she sensed something was wrong: her entire village seemed devoid of life! It wasn't until she approached her old home that she found Gahno waiting for her. He seemed eerily calm and though a part of her wished to get revenge for his abuse, she knew her duties as Avatar came first. She asked him what he knew and he promised to take her to everyone.

They mounted Nanook and rode from village to village, finding them all lifeless. Kenya could feel an evil presence growing as they went and the Avatar found herself growing more uneasy than usual around Gahno. She no longer feared his wrath by any means but to see him so stoic and calm in the face of this mystery was almost…inhuman.

It was sundown when they finally reached the Spirit Oasis. Gahno told her that she would find answers here and helped her dismount from Nanook. When Kenya reached the mystical location though, she was shocked to find Tui and La gone! The Avatar was frantic but Gahno smiled coldly and said "It's no true loss. Now there are less things to distract from the reflection of your beautiful face."

At this Kenya froze: Gahno never called her beautiful. She instantly lashed out with a water whip and knocked her former fiancé to the frozen ground. She then hoisted him by the throat and demanded to know who he truly was. The false Gahno merely said "I like you far more than Gaia. She would never turn her back on an enemy."

Kenya whipped her head around to see a figure rise from the Spirit Oasis. It was her father and he was armed to the teeth, only he had none. In fact, he had no face at all. The Avatar watched in horror as her father stepped onto the ice and was soon followed by a faceless version of Chief Sanooka and his son Aruk, also armed. This continued until a faceless legion stood before Kenya that resembled her entire Tribe! Even the women and children were present and ready for battle. The last one to emerge was Gahno.

The false Gahno threw back his head and laughed even as he assumed his true form. Kenya now stood before Koh, the Face Stealer. Kenya had heard rumors of this dark and ancient Spirit during her first journey to the Spirit World but had hoped he never truly existed. Still wearing Gahno's face,he leered at her and smiled so cruelly that horrid memories came alive once more in the Avatar's head.

Koh revealed that he had wanted to conquer the mortal world for ages but Gaia's presence kept him at bay. With most of Gaia's power sacrificed to create the Avatar Cycle, he grew stronger but it wasn't until a vengeance crazed Gahno summoned him to destroy Kenya that he was able to put his plan into action. The Face Stealer made victims of Gahno and everyone else while the current Avatar was away and now had complete control over their bodies due to having part of their spirits by way of their faces. Now that he was outside the Spirit World, Koh could also assume the form of whoever's face he stole.

Kenya fought the faceless army with all she had. With earth bending unavailable and the Avatar State still nonexistent in those days, the powers of fire, air, and water had to be used to their fullest. The Avatar even attempted to use lightning generation to no avail. Koh's legion was just too much and she soon lay unconscious in the snow.

The Face Stealer laughed and ordered his army to part as he crawled towards his nemesis. The moment that she awoke, her face was his and with it, a part of the Avatar Spirit. This would kill Kenya but the Avatar Cycle would still be intact and her successor would be born. This was all part of Koh's plan. After conquering the mortal world, he would steal every future Avatar's face until he was powerful enough to conquer even Brykus and the entire Spirit World as well. All of creation would soon be his.

Suddenly, Nanook attacked from nowhere and caught Koh off guard. The Face Stealer was cunning and had the wisdom of untold ages but physically, he was a very weak spirit. He struggled to fight off Kenya's animal guide and was unable to steal his face because Nanook had blinded Gahno's face with his attack. While Koh fought, the Avatar dreamed.

She dreamed of Tui and La, who appeared to her in their rarely seen true forms. They explained that Koh had forced his way into the mortal world through the Spirit Oasis and left them dormant at the bottom of their mystical home. If the Face Stealer wasn't defeated soon, the Oasis would dry up and the entire South Pole would cease to exist along with the world. Kenya lamented that she could not defeat Koh for she was not a good enough warrior. The Spirits actually laughed and said that it was her skill as a healer that would win the day. They whispered what to do in the Avatar's ear and then, she awoke.

Kenya awoke just in time to see Koh change faces so he could steal Nanook's. The Avatar attacked the Face Stealer with fire bending and allowed her animal guide to retreat. Koh ordered The Faceless Legion to attack but this time, Kenya was ready. She used water bending to coat her arms with water from the Spirit Oasis and charged Koh's nearest minion.

However, the Avatar did not attack the faceless warrior and began to heal it instead. Koh laughed at this until he suddenly felt a surge of weakness and one of the faces he stole actually vanished! This same face began to reappear on Kenya's opponent and he was free of the Face Stealer's control soon after. The magic of the Spirit Oasis had done what was thought impossible, just as it would do for Avatar Aang centuries later.

Kenya continued to do this with everyone who attacked her and slowly weakened Koh in the process. The Face Stealer tried to stop her but Tui and La, now regaining strength, appeared in physical form to keep him at bay. The last face the Avatar restored was that of Gahno, With his army gone and having been severely drained, Koh was forced to retreat to the Spirit World but not before vowing revenge. From that day onward, he has been striking at the Avatar line in any way he can, be it attempting bait a young Avatar who comes seeking his wisdom, the manipulation of their enemies and allies, or striking directly. The later of these he has always saved for Water Tribe Avatars like Avatar Kuruk. Only Brykus himself knows what he has planned for Avatar Korra.

For his part in unleashing Koh, Gahno was banished from the North Pole forever after that day. He eventually settled in the Swamp Tribe and started a family there but never forgot his humiliation. His descendent would later help the daughter of Hama corrupt the tribe but would be defeated by Avatar Aang along with her.

As no new threat emerged in her lifetime, Kenya was free to return to life as a humble healer. She experimented with developing new healing techniques for the other bending arts and used her position to improve women's rights in the North before her death at the age of one hundred and one. All mourned her passing but knew that in the Earth Kingdom, a new Avatar would soon be born.

AN; First update of 2013! Special thanks to all my reviewers!


	16. Book 3: Cycles chapter 3: Avatar Geo

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 3: Cycles

Chapter 3: Avatar Geo and the Two Earth Kings

Life after Kenya's death was fairly uneventful save for the slow repeal of her laws dictating more equal treatment in the Northern Tribe. It would not be until the coming of Katara, direct descendent of Hamaka and Mara, that any true lasting social reforms occurred. Though peace reigned, a new Avatar was needed and the Earth Kingdom was due to receive him. Earth Priests traveled the nation and tested each child by laying a bowl of dirt and a bowl of water between them. If both elements reacted, they had their Avatar.

Sixteen years after the Avatar was found, there lived two young men in the town of Gaoling. One was Geo, wealthy son of a merchant, and the other was Beifong, a poor farmer who bred flying boars. The two were best friends despite their different upbringings but Beifong always wanted more. He was a powerful earth bender and having even taught Geo most of what he knew, he hoped he would rise to fame and fortune by joining Earth King Shala's army.

One day, when Geo was helping Beifong tend to his boars, the local Earth Priests visited the farm to reveal the identity of the new Avatar. While Geo was shocked at his true identity, Beifong seemed angry, almost jealous when the priests bowed before his friend. Much like Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin centuries later, a rift between two good friends was formed that day.

The next day, Geo was sent to Ba Sing Se to master earth bending and begin his Avatar journey. His fortune and the bulk of his estate would be taken by the government until his return and given to a noble of his choosing. The Avatar was meant to serve the people after all and couldn't be tied to material wealth. While Geo had petitioned to stay in Gaoling and train under Beifong, he was rebuffed. The training of the Avatar was too important to leave to a simple farmer.

Geo was brought before the Earth King himself and given the honor of being trained by Geneal Koi, Shala's best general and the most powerful earth bender of his day. Under his strict tutelage, the Avatar mastered his native element in under a year and even grew to admire his sifu's toughness. During the year however, Geo was unaware of the plot that was unfolding under his nose.

For the past decade, General Koi had slowly been gaining enough power for a coup of the entire Nation. He had forged secret alliances with territorial governors, well connected nobles, smaller but strategically placed military powers, and even some members of the Order of the White Lotus. Eventually, half the Earth Kingdom had allied with him but the surprising number of Shala loyalitists managed to repel his initial attack and forced him to flee to Omashu.

The city was abandoned then and had been since the days of the first Earth King, Shang. From this new fortress, Koi rallied his supporters once more and declared himself the true Earth King. Now in command of the Easterrn and Western parts of the Nation , he launched attacks to seize the North and South from Shala. The Earth Kingdom Civil War had begun.

Knowing that the Avatar posed a threat, Koi employed assassins from all over to eliminate Geo before he became fully realized. While all failed, they did force Geo to abandon his air bending training to return home and deal with the crisis. Armed with only two elements and aided by his animal guide, Lao the badger mole, he lead King Shala's army in freeing his Nation from a tyrant.

For many months, Geo was successful until he reached his home town. The Avatar was shocked to find Gaoling was under the control of his old friend Beifong, now a high ranking general in Koi's army. Beifong revealed his long resentment of Geo for not only his wealth but now his status as Avatar. He had joined the Second Earth King's army to gain the respect he had longed for all his life by any means necessary.

With this said, Beifong leaped into action against his now former friend. He revealed just how much he improved by debuting his new skills of seismic sense, earth armor, and even sand bending. Gaoling was in the middle of a desert in Geo's day so the later proved a deadly weapon. The Avatar's men were defeated in minutes and Geo himself could barely hold his own even with both earth and fire bending at his disposal.

Beifong's skill and Geo's hesitation to fight his old friend proved his undoing. The Avatar was beaten and taken prisoner to Omashu, where he would remain a hostage until King Shala surrendered the rest of the Earth Kingdom to King Koi. For weeks, they kept in a metal cell with just enough air to keep him alive without allowing him to fire bend, guarding him twenty-four hours a day. Beifong volunteered for this often and took every delight in taunting his former friend.

Geo did not break however for he was a child of earth. Instead, he talked to Beifong every night and day, urging him to remember their friendship and see Koi's madness. The weeks passed slowly in this way and seemed to offer no change in Beifong. Then the day came when Koi made a startling announcement.

The second Earth King had come to a realization that the Avatar was highly valued but not just his home Nation, but them all. To this end, he declared that he no longer wished to rule the Earth Kingdom, but the entire world! He demanded that the leaders of the Four Nations surrender their power to him within forty-eight hours or Geo would be killed.

The world's leaders were shocked by such a demand and became divided on what to do. King Shala and Fire Lord Haiku scoffed at such a threat, one stubborn enough to believe it a bluff and the other confident that Geo's death would spawn a new Avatar for his own Nation. The Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, Kolaq, believed they should fight to the last man, Avatar or not and Rookino, the Northern Water Tribe Chief, believed that the death of a Avatar who was not fully realized would anger the spirits and bring their wrath upon the world. The Air Nomad Elders chose no side and simply meditated on the matter, asking the spirits to guide them in the dark times.

While this occurred. The Order of the White Lotus took action, Infuriated that members of their own order had aided Koi in his conquest, the highest ranking White Lotus Masters assembled to rescue Geo themselves. This included Monk Yinlon, a mighty Air Bender and Grand Lotus, Nakara, a woman of noble Earth Kingdom blood who hid the heart of a seasoned brawler behind her refined exterior and was equal to Koi in Earth bending, Master Krank of the Northern Water Tribe who had defied tradition by becoming a healer despite being male, and the brothers Chen and Chou, a powerful fire bender and master chi blocker respectively.

They stormed Omashu and easily defeated Koi's forces. The Second Earth King became desperate as the masters burst into his throne room, where Geo was kept as a living trophy. Koi threatened to kill the Avatar right there and would have done so had Beifong not attacked him. Moved by his friend's sincere words and repulsed by Koi's madness, the mighty general freed Geo and turned against his leader.

Koi tried fighting back and though he proved a skilled oppenant, he proved no match for the warriors assembled. The defeated tyrant laughed however, claiming victory was still his. At that moment, a mysterious looking servant boy was serving King Shala tea in Ba Sing Se. An hour or so later, the Earth King was dead.

When Geo and his allies returned to make the discovery the next day, they hunted the murderer across the Nation until he was found. This boy, Harlin, was revealed to not only be Koi's ally but his son. Harlin explained how his father had forced him to poisen Shala and had done so before news of Geo's freedom reached anyone. He also told of how Shala had died without a heir and Koi had planned to use his own child as a bargaining chip before Geo returned. With himself being the only chance to continue the Earth Kingdom's Royal family, Koi had to be made ruler.

Sensing Harlin was good, Geo and his allies pardoned him but now had to reserve the Earth Kingdom Monarchy in some way. Nakara volunteered to become a regent and rule until a proper heir was found. She eventually became Earth Queen permanently and gave birth to a son to create the Second Dynasy of the Earth Kingdom, which rules to this day. She also decided that Omashu was important enough to have it's own king and gave Harlin the job. The ruler of Omashu also serves as an alternate Earth King should the previous ruler die without children or become unable to rule.

As for Beifong and Avatar Geo, an old friendship was renewed and strengthened after that day. Before leaving to complete his Avatar training, Geo shocked his old friend by bestowing his wealth upon him rather than a Noble as tradition stated, With a Flying Boar as his symbol, Beifong went on to marry and establish one of the richest families in the Earth Kingdom, one that would last generations to come. Geo's only wish in return was that his friend teach the element of Earth to his successor.

Little else is known about the first Earth Kingdom Avatar after that. He completed his training, went on to establish the Council of Five to keep control of military power in his Nation, and may have founded the sand bender tribes before dying at the age of one hundred and eight. Beifong lived on however and waited for the next Avatar's birth in the Fire Nation.

AN: Only two more chapters to go! Special thanks to my reviewers.


	17. Book 3: Cycles chapter 4: Avatar Kumeza

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

Book 3: Cycles

Chapter 4: Avatar Kumeza and the Day of Black Sun

Sometime before Geo's death, the reign of Fire Lord Hao began in the Fire Nation. Hao was a progressonist and felt that the ancient ways that had survived since the days of the Sun Warriors had no use in modern times. He was quick to do away with the festival honoring Agni's eye {now known as the Great Comet}, yearly offerings to the dragons, and anything he deemed too spiritual. As a result, the Fire Sages were given a demotion for the first time since Fire Lord Zorin rose to power.

Once highly respected as the Fire Nation's spiritual council and responsible for training not only the Royal Family but Avatars Kenya and Geo in fire bending, the Sages were now reduced to performing marriages and funerals. Only the ancient edict of Avatar Beta allowing them to identify the new Avatar after Geo's death. They read the chi of each possible candidate until they felt the Avatar Spirit in a newborn girl named Kumeza. On her sixteenth birthday ,they told the young girl of her identity and vanished into obscurity once more.

Kumeza would soon prove very much unlike her predecessors however. As the daughter of one of the richest families in the Fire Nation, she was a spoiled brat who craved fame & attention above all else. She was also a very talented yet haughty fire bender who looked down upon the other elements and her Avatar status didn't change that in the least. When her identity was announced, she proclaimed that she would learn nothing but fire bending and even fought the White Lotus Sentries who were sent to force her to learn air bending.

It seemed that the new Avatar was a fraud and Fire Lord Hao blamed the Fire Sages for the mistake. He banished them to the farthest, oldest island in the Fire Nation and ordered them never to return. The Head Sage, an older man named Zen who was well versed in the ancient ways, became enraged and vowed revenge upon the entire Fire Nation for the disgraceful act. Hao scoffed at such threats but he would soon learn that this would prove a grave mistake.

Using an ancient relic, a medallion bearing the four symbols of the Elements, Zen was able to perform a ritual that allowed him to him to siphon energy from Tui , the Moon Spirit and take control of her moon form. He then used it to block out the sun itself and create the Avatar world's first eclipse. The day of Black Sun had began.

Every fire bender in the Fire Nation was stripped of their abilities, including the Royal Family. Riots soon broke out all over as some went mad with grief over their loss and others took advantige of the depowered authority to cause chaos. The best chi blockers and weapon masters around were brought in to help keep peace but the situation seemed hopeless. As bad as it was however, it soon became worse.

Zen's ritual had warped the veil between worlds and the spirits of ancient dragons & Sun Warriors began appearing to cause even more havoc. Angry that their ways had been carelessly discarded, the ancestors of the Fire Nation wished vengeance upon their modern descendents. Fire Lord Hao and his family were the first to feel their wrath as he and his wife were slain by none other than Izu, the first human fire bender and founder of the Sun Warrior culture. Izu fled afterwards however and left a single survivor to his rampage: Prince Izu, Hao's only son and the ancient warrior's namesake.

Prince Izu was only seven years old but his spirit and courage were as big as a lion-turtle. He fled the ruins of the Fire Nation capital alone to search for the one person who could stop the chaos: the Avatar. The only question was where had she gone? Kumeza had vanished from the public eye shortly after the chaos began and no one had seen her since.

After days of searching, the young prince found the Avatar hiding in the remains of her family estate. She had been so horrified by the loss of her bending that she hid with the rest of her family in shame until the spirits came. Sun Warriors who had been their ancient ancestors slaughtered Kumeza's entire family and the Avatar was helpless to stop it. Now, all that remained of a once proud young woman was a broken shell of her former self.

But Prince Izu would not lose hope. In his own childish way, he implored how much the world needed Kumeza as it's Avatar and the importance of learning the other elements. He forced her onto Blaze ,the dragon that Fire Lord Hao had selected to be given as the new Avatar's animal guide, and set them on the path to the Western Air Temple.

The monks were kindly and saw that Kumeza needed time to heal before confronting the threat the world faced. They spent the first few months helping her come to grips with her flaws and insecurities while helping her get through her trauma. In the end, there emerged a more humble yet determined young woman ready to serve as Avatar. Kumeza also developed a close bond with Prince Izu, who saw her as a big sister figure.

The Avatar mastered air bending over the course of weeks and then fled with Izu to the Northern Water Tribe. Due to her Avatar Status and the crisis at hand that had caused harm to their patron Spirit, Chief Kanik allowed Kumeza to defy tradition and learn traditional water bending despite her gender. It proved challenging for her and took several months more but the by then seventeen year old eventually mastered the element of change. On the night before her and Izu's departure to the Earth Kingdom, Kumeza was drawn to the Spirit Oasis, which was drying out due to the enchantment placed upon Tui by Fire Sage Zen. La, the Ocean Spirit implored Kumeza to help his love and granted her some of his spiritual energy to help in her quest but warned her only to use it when the time was right.

Kumeza traveled across the Earth Kingdom until she reached Gaoling and immediately sought out the estate of Lord Beifong. The greatly aged noble had waited so long for his friend's return that he had neglected his health for many years and was on his last legs when finally found. He remained very stubborn however and vowed not to die until the new Avatar had mastered earth bending. Kumeza was put through the hardest training she had ever experienced but in the end, an element was mastered and a friendship renewed, however brief it may have been.

Before Kumeza and Izu left to take back the Fire Nation, Lord Beifong became very sick and was told he would not last the night. He called the Avatar to his death bed and expressed great joy at having been able to see his friend one last time. He also expressed regret that his family's talent for earth bending would die with him. His children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren had become spoiled by the life of nobility and had no wish to exercise their great skills. The youngest children couldn't even bend at all.

Kumeza simply smiled and informed her friend not to worry. Just a few nights ago, she had received a vision that told of a Beifong who would be counted among the greatest of earth benders, overcoming a severe handicap and taking earth bending to a whole new level. Lord Beifong found great comfort in these words and said that one day, perhaps his family would follow the Avatar as keepers of peace. These were his last words and the Avatar openly wept for a great friend she had known in not one but two lives.

A few days later, Kumeza returned to liberate the Fire Nation. With aid from the Order of the White Lotus, she fought off the spirits that plagued her home and made her way to the Fire Lord's palace. Waiting for her was the self proclaimed Fire Lord Zen and his Sages. Each was armed to the teeth to make up for their lost bending and pounced on the Avatar like wild beasts the moment she appeared.

Kumeza fought her way through them all with the three elements at her disposal but found Zen immune to all her attacks. He mocked her efforts and proceeded to point out the medallion that he wore around his neck, the same one that had caused all this chaos. Zen revealed that long ago, Gaia herself had worn the medallion and before her death, had woven an enchantment around it. The First Avatar was wise enough to know that even she could be corrupted by her own power and wished to create a failsafe to protect the world from herself. She had Brykus enchant her medallion to be able to absorb the power of the Avatar Spirit and any other spirit that had a connection to the Elementals. Gaia had entrusted the great relic to her best friend, Fire Lord Zorin and his son Fire Lord Riku entrusted it to the Fire Sages after reinstating them as the Fire Nation's spiritual counsel. Both Tui & La fell under it's influence by becoming as aspect of Sedna and that was how Zen could control the moon.

Kumeza begged Zen to relinquish the relic in the name of balance but the rogue sage refused. His mind had become warped by the power he held and the old principles that had driven his scheme meant nothing anymore. All he wanted was to rule. All he wanted was to be the Avatar.

Zen revealed the medallion had absorbed a portion of Kumeza's power with every attack she threw at him. The rogue sage now had limited earth, air, and water bending as well as fire bending. The medallion had also granted him immunity from the eclipse. Kumeza now found herself fighting a second Avatar with one more element than her at his disposal!

It was a tough fight and despite Kumeza's better experience with elements besides fire, Zen's higher spirituality allowed him to use the other elements more proficiently than her. The rogue sage's ability to absorb more and more of the Avatar's power as they fought also gave him an edge. Eventually, Kumeza was beaten and entrapped in an earth mound, completely at Zen's mercy. He would absorb the power of the Avatar Spirit completely and dominate the world.

It was that Kumeza heard a voice whisper to her ,an ancient voice only she could hear. It told her of the medallion's weak points and that if she was to win, she would have to exploit them now. With a sudden surge of strength, the Avatar freed her arm and actually managed to shoot a fire blast at Zen. But this was not normal flame like most fire benders used, or even the special blue fire that prodigies were known to sometimes bend. This was white fire powered by spirit energy, hotter and stronger than any other. It was also the only way to destroy the medallion.

As it turned out, Gaia had also foreseen the possibility of someone misusing her medallion so she made sure that it could only used on one spirit at a time. If more than one spirit shared a link with an Elemental {as was the case with all four of them},the other members of the link could undo the medallion's effects and destroy it if needed. La had given Kumeza some of his energy to carry out the task he couldn't.

The eclipse ended instantly and Kumeza's full power was restored. She easily defeated Zan and the other Sages begged the Avatar's forgiveness. They had been under Zen's influence and would never had helped carry out his mad scheme otherwise. Again hearing the ancient voice advise her, Kumeza granted it and accepted their help in rebuilding the Fire Nation. She would never know that she was the second Avatar since Beta to hear the voice of Gaia herself.

Time passed and eventually, the Fire Nation healed. Realizing that Zen had a valid point despite what he had done, Kumeza worked to balance the old and new, pushing her homeland towards a healthy medium between spirituality and modernization. Some were still displeased however and a large portion of citizens actually migrated to Sun Warrior ruins, recreating the ancient culture and renewing the tradition of guarding the Great Flame. It would be many centuries before even an Avatar discovered their existence.

Kumeza remained in the Fire Nation for the rest of her life, ruling the land as a regent until Izu came of age and advising the then Fire Lord for sometime after. Fire Lord Izu believed the Fire Nation always remember the darkest day in Fire Nation history and had the events of the eclipse recorded for future generations to remember. Kumeza had already taken bigger steps however by arranging for the Spirits to cause a temporary eclipse every few centuries to keep the Fire Nation humble. She knew making such a weakness public knowledge was asking for trouble so she secretly stole the record of the first Day of Black Sun and convinced Wah Shi Tong to keep it in his library. There it would remain until a young Water Tribe Boy ,one whom Brykus seemed to enjoy torturing, stumbled onto it while trying to win a war.

Kumeza died at the age of one hundred and fifteen, the third oldest Avatar after Kyoshi and Gaia. Her death also marked the end of the Avatar Cycle first rotation, known as the Prime Cycle among the elder Spirits. It was around that time that these same Spirits debated whether the Cycle should continue any further. They didn't know they could trust Gaia's power to a mere mortal and the gift of reincarnation would be wasted if in continuous use. The word of Brykus rang out however and silenced them all. The story of the Avatar was just beginning after all.

AN: Only one more chapter to go! Special thanks to my reviewers.


	18. Book 3: Cycles chapter 5: Avatar Tensa

Air…Water…Earth…Fire.

For centuries, the Avatar has kept balance in the world, serving as the master of the four elements and a bridge between man and spirit in over a thousand incarnations. From the legendary Avatar Aang who ended a century long war to the mighty Avatar Korra who defeated the anti-bending Equalists, each member of the Avatar line has saved the world more times than either man or Spirit can remember. But where did it all begin? This is the story of how the Avatar Cycle came to be…

An: Avatar Tensa was created by Silver Omega 01 for her great "the First Avatar" series. I use him with permission.

Book 3: Cycles

Chapter 5: Tensa, Sakura, and the Avatar State

All who know of the Avatar today know of the legendary Avatar state which allows an Avatar to channel the power and wisdom of their predecessors. This special defense mechanism has served the Avatar line for thousands of years but while Gaia held the might of the Elemental State as it's predecessor, the Avatar State was unavailable to Avatar Beta and remained unavailable to all Avatars of the Prime Cycle. In fact, the first few hundred Avatars did not have the Avatar State. No one even believed such a thing was possible back then and that reincarnation was the same soul in a new body , making the idea of past lives existing after reincarnation impossible. While this is true for most reincarnations, a rare few before the Avatar was created, there is an exception to every rule

It was at the birth of the two hundredth Avatar that a new wave of change swept across the world: the Water Tribes came together for the first New Moon Festival, the Crystal Catacombs had been discovered beneath Ba Sing Se, Fire Lord Akira, the first female Fire Lord in decades, ascended the throne of the Fire Nation, and the Air Temples had segregated the genders.

It all began when Head Monk Archen of the Southern Temple discovered his wife Suli was pregnant with another man's child, The enraged air bender wished to banish both woman and child from the ranks of the Air Nomads forever but the ancient ways prevented such cruelty to a pregnant woman and her unborn offspring. To this end, he called together the ruling monks of all the Air Temples and created the law that all men and women of the Air Nation would reside in separate temples, men in the North and South, women in the East and West.

The new laws went into effect immediately and Suli's illegitimate son was separated from her following his birth. This boy, Tensa grew up in the now all male Southern Air Temple and was shunned by his peers and elders alike. They blamed him for the loss of parents and loved ones, silently regretting his birth and doing all they could to keep him out of their lives. The young man was deeply traumatized by all this and wanted more than anything to be accepted by his people.

At age eight, Tensa eventually ran away from the temple on a sky bison he stole . He flew fast and far until he could fly no more and ended up in an Earth Kingdom Swamp. It was there that he was tortured by visions of those he left behind and what he later learned were past Avatars. These visions drove the young boy further and further into the swamp where he encountered a strange tribe of water benders.

The swamp benders were simple but kind and offered Tensa a place to stay when they head his story. The distant young man accepted their offer but kept to himself while trying to master air bending. It was on such occasion that he discovered he could bend water as well. Upon realizing that he was the new Avatar, Tensa felt empowered and sought to use his position to earn acceptance from his people.

Tensa spent a year in the swamp until he mastered their style of water bending and their plant bending technique. He then traveled across the Earth Kingdom and mastered Earth Bending as he went, learning everything he could from multiple teachers. He mastered the element every Air Nomad Avatar feared in under two months. He had just mastered Sand Bending as well and was living with one of their tribes when he found Wan Shi Tong's library.

The Spirit of Knowledge was young in those days and had been good friends with multiple Avatars at that point, including Gaia. He gladly gave Tensa every scroll he had on fire bending but Tensa wanted more. The young man was fascinated with the concept of the Avatar Spirit itself and wished to know more of it's secrets. Driven by his desires, he stole every scroll on the ancient spirits that Wah Shi Tong had and even some of the scrolls on his predecessors and fled during the night. The Knowledge Spirit was deeply hurt by this betrayal and grew cold towards humans afterwards, growing more so with every century that passed.

Tensa used his ill gotten gains to master fire bending and continue researching the Avatar Spirit. He learned the story of the four elementals and how they merged to create the Avatar Spirit in the first place. This and the accounts of past Avatars knowing people and events connected to their predecessors caused Tensa to think that perhaps each new Avatar became a part of the spirit as well.

Wanting to test his theory, Tensa used an ancient meditation technique that allowed him to connect with his inner most self. He peered deep within his soul and he could indeed feel every past Avatar within him, a collective of spirits within the oldest spirit known to man. He knew this was what had helped him in master the elements so quickly but this wasn't enough for the young Air Nomad. He wished to know the fullest extent of the power he now held within him. He studied every scroll he had and meditated every night until he understood that he could achieve the power he desired by unlocking his chakras as Gaia did.

But Tensa took it a step too far. He had grown bitter over the years due to how he was treated and had replaced much of his fear,guilt, and grief with a burning desire to prove himself. He told himself no lies and suffered no illusion. He had nothing that attached him to the world and because of this, unlocked all his chakras at once.

The power of all his past lives exploded from the young Air Nomad and the Avatar State came into being. Tensa had complete control over this new ability and vowed to be the best Avatar the world had ever seen, unhindered by anything in the quest for balance. He returned to the Southern Air Temple days later and shocked the Elders with his power. When the time for finding the new Air Nomad Avatar had come, they had tested everyone but Tensa and assumed the new Avatar had been born in another Air Temple when no one passed.

Fearful of the young man's wrath, they sought to appease him by offering him the status of air bending master. Tensa accepted but decreed his arrows would be black rather than blue and he refused to have his head marked. The Elders were confused by this request but didn't dare object. Arguing with an Avatar as powerful as Tensa was suicide.

For the next decade, Tensa reigned as Avatar and dealt with any threat that arose. The power of the Avatar State seemed invincible and none could stand against it. It soon became clear however that the Avatar's upbringing and subsequent rise to power had corrupted him. He passed judgment without mercy and killed time and again despite the Air Nomad philosophy of peace. "The ways of the Avatar are not of one Nation but all" he said "I cannot abide any one philosophy regardless of my birth place."

The years continued to pass and Tensa grew colder stiil. He took command of all forms of government and reduced the leaders of the Nations to powerless figureheads, becoming a tyrant far worse than any he had battled. Even the Spirits were considered beneath him as he destroyed their altars and replaced with idols worshipping the Avatar Spirit itself. When the Spirits who inhabited the physical world sought to put a stop to it, He drove them back with the Avatar State and sealed them into the Spirit World forever. Only Tui and La were spared as the source of Water bending and Wan Shi Tong had gone into hiding years ago.

It was sometime after this that the world had enough of Avatar Tensa. The Order of the White Lotus sent one of their own to poisin him and end his reign forever. He was thirty, the first Avatar in history to die young and hopefully the only one to fall from grace. Only the early death of Avatar Aang centuries later would prove more tragic.

With their former protector's death, the world lived in fear of the next Avatar. As they helped the world regain balance, the Order came to the decision that the Avatar could not be absolute. They would mold Tensa's successor into a servant of the people and insure that no other Avatar would follow him into darkness.

Eventually, the next Avatar, a girl named Sakura, was born in the Southern Water Tribe. The Order went into action immediately and began manipulating the events of her life to insure an ideal protector of balance. One of their members in the Southern Water Tribe, Master Poi, posed as a water bending instructor in Sakura's village to train her and monitor her until she was sixteen. He also made certain she was not hindered by personal attachments by secretly sabotaging any friendships or romances she got into, even creating a rift between her and her parents. If there was one thing the Order and Tensa agreed on, it was that the Avatar could not have worldly attachments. Even a traditional Animal Guide was forbidden.

When Sakura turned sixteen and her identity was announced, she moved to the Earth Kingdom to master earth bending. It was there that another White Lotus member became her teacher and took Poi's work to the next level. "The Avatar does not need friends nor want friends" Master Laogai harshly reminded his student every day "your duty is to serve the world and keep balance. No one wants the Avatar to befriend or love them, only protect."

These words were repeated to Sakura every day for years by her masters, from Lady Akira of the Fire Nation to Sister Yin of the Eastern Air Temple. All were associated with the Order of The White Lotus and pledged to create an unattached, perfectly obedient Avatar.

One day shortly after Sakura's twenty-fifth birthday, a new threat arose in the form of the Black Vine Society. This dark counterpart to the Order was founded by a rogue Grand Lotus years ago during the time of Tensa's predecessor, Avatar Yuyan of the Fire Nation. They lived to oppose the Avatar and cause imbalance from within the shadows. Their latest plot involved the assassination of several high ranking nobles within the Four Nations and Chief Unova of the Northern Water Tribe believed his council was next.

After a meeting with the Tribal Council, Sakura was asked to patrol the surrounding villages for any sign of suspicious activity. It was on this route that she glimpsed a group of children penguin sledding down a nearby hill. The Avatar had always wanted to try this as a little girl but Master Poi kept her training non-stop and had dismissed such activities as frivolous.

Sakura was brought out of her musings by the approach of a small boy, barely seven years old with bright blue eyes. "Hi, I'm Kenku" the boy chirped at her with a cheerful smile "what's your name? " "I have had many names over my many lives" Sakura said mechanicly "none are important. I am simply the Avatar." She had rehearsed this speech many times for her masters and repeated it just as often. It was true after all. The world didn't care for names, only the title.

"Wow, a girl Avatar! Knku exclaimed in fascination "I've never heard of those before." Sakura inwardly rolled her eyes at that. The Northern Tribe held very little respect for female Avatars and made very little effort to honor them, even those born in their own Tribe. It wasn't her place to comment however so she simply said "The Avatar spirit may take any form it wishes to best manifest itself in the physical world."

"Well, I like this one" Kenku replied "you're real pretty." Sakura was silent for a moment as this was the first time anyone had ever called her that but then her training kicked in again. "I've no time for questions little boy, there is growing imbalance in this tribe that requires my attention. Off with you now."

Kenku merely shrugged and was about to leave when a group of older boys called out to him from the hill. They challenged him to a race and began taunting him when he refused , citing his need for an adult and revealing that he had no parents in the process.

Upon learning that Kenku was an orphan, something with Sakura began to ache. She began to remember her own parents before her relationship with them went sour and being teased before her status was revealed. While she had been taught to repress such feelings from an early age, The Avatar found herself fighting against her conditioning for once. It was because that she agreed to go penguin sledding with a bunch of kids.

The race was a thrill, something Sakura had never experienced before. She found her stoic mask being ripped away as the frigid wind whipped through her hair and the sound of laughing children rang in her ears. The Avatar even found time to engage in a bit of mischief as she used air bending to propel Kenku and herself to the bottom of the hill. But what really surprised her when the young boy actually thanked her with a hug. "Thanks you so much Avatar! I never beat those jerks at anything before!" "Uh…you can call me Sakura."

The odd pleasant feeling the Avatar had after Kenku left didn't last. She was confronted by an angry Chief Unova a short time later and told that two of the Council members had been struck down a short ways away from her location. Upon realizing her error, Sakura resolved to never forget her place again and push Kenku out of her mind. Little did she suspect how hard it would be and how reluctant she would be to do it.

Believing Sakura could not handle things on her own, Chief Unova called upon the Order of the White Lotus to oversee the investigation. They reprimanded the Avatar for her actions and put her through an intense training session as punishment. She would spend the next several weeks guarding the remaining Council members with the White Lotus Sentries and trying to forget the first time she actually laughed.

Fate seemed to think differently however as Kenku would find her again and again and though she tried to drive him away, his smile never wavered. Sakura soon found herself pulled into adventure seeking and care free afternoons under the Order's nose, each time feeling more and more uplifted. She listened to any troubles he had and healed his scrapes when he hurt himself. He even asked her for martial art lessons, wanting to defend himself against benders at the orphanage where he was raised.

Sakura loved each and every minute she spent with Kenku. He made her feel like she was so much more than just the Avatar and had even been told she was his first and only friend. For some reason however, her bending was slowly weakening and this made fighting the Society, whose members had begun publicly attacking the Tribe, all the more difficult.

One day, during a walk in the woods, Kenku introduced her to another friend of his, a large wolf that he named Yoko. Yoko was as friendly as he was fierce and took to Sakura right away. It was almost as if they were made for one another. "My teacher at the orphanage says that Avatars have special animals that help them and let them ride where they need to go. She also they were great friends. I noticed you don't have one and didn't want you to be lonely." "I'm not lonely kiddo, not anymore."

It was on that day that Sakura decided that she loved Kenku, not just as a friend, but as a son. She made plans to adopt him and was going to going to do so with or without the Order's support. As she traveled on Yoko to the orphanage, the Avatar was horrified to find it had been completely destroyed. The only clue hidden amid the wreckage was a black Pai Sho tile bearing the image of a red eye, the calling card of the Black Vine Society. On the back of the Tile was a message: "Come to Renaq cavern if you wish to see the boy again and be prepared to unlock the Avatar State."

Sakura returned to the Order to plead for their help, only to be rebuffed. "You are the Avatar" the Grand Lotus snapped "you should never have allowed yourself to love the boy and now the Society has uncovered a weakness in you. Your attachment has weakened the Avatar Spirit and rendered you nearly powerless! The Society will have the world at their mercy now thanks to your blundering!"

"I don't care!" Sakura snapped back "I'll do anything if it means getting Kenku back! What's the Avatar State?" The Grand Lotus told the story of Tensa and the power he unleashed, one that the Order hoped the world would never see again. The Black Vine Society had attempted to weaponise the Avatar State before Tensa died but many of them fell by the corrupted Avatar's hand and were driven into hiding until recently. Now it seemed they were going to get the current Avatar to use it's power for them in exchange for safety of one child.

The Grand Lotus decided that they would unlock the Avatar State themselves for use against their enemies. Sakura was ordered into a meditative position as one of the Order's sages instructed her on chakras. Little did they knew that while the Avatar appeared to be listening on the surface, she was actually in the Spirit World, standing face to face with Avatar Tensa.

Sakura's fallen predecessor explained that the Avatar Spirit connected all it's hosts throughout time and space and that she and all subsequent Avatars would now be able to call upon their past lives for wisdom and guidance. Tensa also explained that his death had made him see how wrong he had been in life. He wished to seek redemption by helping his successor unlock the Avatar State and rescue Kenku.

Tensa first explained the concept of chakras and how Gaia first unlocked them to access the Elemental State. He warned that the process had to be completed step by step and could not be stopped for any reason or the consequences could be fatal. He also warned her that dying in the Avatar State would end the Avatar Cycle. Sakura gladly accepted these risks, stating she would do anything for her son. Her predecessor bowed respectfully at this and they began.

First came the Earth Chakra, blocked by Sakura's fear of being alone and unloved because of her identity. Tensa sagely advised that no Avatar was truly alone and helped her push past it by remembering Kenku's love for her. Then came the Water Chakra, blocked by her guilt of disowning her parents and allowing Kenku to be used as bait her. Tensa not only helped her see that the Society was to blame for this and not her but also hinted at a secret that he promised to reveal later. Next came the Fire Chakra, blocked by her shame for allowing herself to become attached and forgetting her duty to the world. Tensa told his predecessor that if she truly believed this, she wouldn't be trying to unlock the Avatar State and helped her get over it.

Sakura's Air Chakra was blocked by her grief of having lost so many friendships and possible loves in her life. Tensa felt great sympathy for her and expressed regret at what he had lost before her that the love she felt in the past had reborn in her love for Kenku.

With her four Elemental Chakras unlocked, Tensa said the next three Chakras would be the most difficult and enlightening for Sakura. The Sound Chakra was blocked by the early lies she told herself about Kenku being a distraction and could only be unlocked by admitting her motherly love for him. When Sakura protested that she had already done this, Tensa said that this had only been in her mind and not in her heart. Once this was rectified, Sakura was ready for the final stretch.

To unlock Sakura's Light Chakra, Tensa revealed that her whole life was marred by illusion and allowed her to see how the Order had manipulated her. He also revealed that the reason for her weakened bending was not Kenku but the fact that the illusion she believed was clashing with the truth of her love. Once Sakura saw the truth, anger surged through her but Tensa kept her calm long enough to complete her task.

Tensa first told her that despite how it sounded, the Thought Chakra did not require letting go of love or friendship, just clearing one's head of such things when using the Avatar State. Avatar Aang would be hindered by this misunderstanding in the centuries to come by a somewhat naïve Guru Pathnik but Sakura understood this straight away. Her final Chakra came undone and the Avatar State came alive for the first time in years. Tensa wished his successor good luck and said he was proud her as she faded from the Spirit World but gave one final ominous warning that his past mistakes would one day shape her future.

Sakura entered the Avatar State instantly back in the physical world and attacked the Order in a fit of rage, calling them out on everything they had ever done. She then used air bending to create a sphere of wind that carried her away from their campsite and across the frozen plains. In less than an hour, she had arrived at Renaq Cavern, said to be the birthplace of the Southern Tribe. She left the Avatar State and walked calmly inside, not sure what to expect.

Sakura saw Kenku bound and gagged on the cavern floor, surrounded by Black Vine Sentries. She was ready to attack then and there when Dark Vine Master Lundao, the fire bending leader of the Society, stepped from the shadows. He taunted her for weakness and revealed that the prior assassinations were just to get her attention. Had they known that a singly little boy would be her downfall, they would have slaughtered him on the spot. "You've fallen right into our trap" he taunted "now prepare yourself to unlock your chakras and unleash the Avatar State or you both die!"

Sakura merely smirked. "You want the power of the Avatar State so bad? YOU'VE GOT IT!" The Avatar unleashed the Avatar State and incinerated a shocked Landao in a massive blast of fire. She then proceeded to unleash all four elements on the rest of the Society, her eyes glowing with raw power.

Kenku was amazed at Sakura's power but then saw how ruthless she was being. This wasn't who he knew and he had to stop her .He quickly untied himself and rushed into the wind storm she had created. "Sakura, stop! You're hurting them!"

"STAY OUT OF THIS KENKU!" Sakura snapped in the voice of every Avatar "THEY DESERVE TO SUFFER FOR WHAT THEY DID TO YOU!" "They didn't do anything, I swear! You stopped them before they could, I swear! I know they're the bad guys but they don't deserve this! Please, mom, don't do this."

This single title was enough to calm Sakura. She left the Avatar State instantly and took Kenku in her arms, sobbing quietly. "I'm so sorry sweetheart" she whispered "I hope you never see me like that again." "That's okay mom" Kenku whispered, unaware of the pure joy it brought Sakura "you were still awesome anyway. The Avatar laughed and lifted her new son high into the air, smothering him with kisses.

Peace reigned after the Black Vine Society's downfall. Sakura adopted Kenku as her son and cut ties from the Order of the White Lotus, moving back home to recouncile with her parents. She and her new son lived happily for over a decade before the Spirits that Tensa had locked away finally broke free and began rampaging across the world as revenge. Sakura was forced to once again enlist the Order's aid to end the Spirit War and even discovered some new abilities in the process. She could project Tensa outside her body to converse with him directly and do the same with any Avatar before him provided she looked deep enough within herself. She also discovered the move "Avatar Possesion" which allowed a past Avatar to use her body and manifest themselves for a short time. But Sakura's most impressive ability was using the Avatar State to merge with other spirits, a move that won her the Spirit War and was not attempted again until Avatar Aang's time.

After the Spirit War, Sakura lived peacefully until her death at the age of eighty-nine. Her son Kenku became a Grand Lotus in the Order and blessed her with three grandkids, each of whom aided her successor, Avatar Roshi of the Earth Kingdom during his lifetime. The Avatar State became a staple during this era and mastering it became a part of becoming a fully realized Avatar. It is also said that Sakura's spirit modified the Avatar State to activate when an Avatar was endangered or suffering emotional distress and only their most cherished loved ones could bring them under control. She is even credited for allowing Avatars to have families of their own, though Gaia had always intended as much when the cycle was first created.

These have been the oldest tales of the Avatar ever told, from the very beginning to those that shaped the legend into what it is today. To name every Avatar and every exploit would take far too many human lifetimes and only I have been allowed to collect them. In my haste to revisit the past however, I seemed to have neglected to acknowledge the present. Avatar Korra had done well in defeating Amon but there is more to him and his power than she knows. As she currently battles the dark Spirits that plague the Northern Tribe, she is unaware that far more dangerous enemies are abound. Counted among them are the Fallen Ones, young but immensely powerful spirits that were once people of the forgotten Nations that fell during the battle between Gaia and Emperor Oni. They seek to obliterate bending and the Avatar line at all costs, having attempted to manipulate a young Commander Bumi in the past and possibly turning Noatak into Amon. I do not know what they plan next for Avatar Korra but it is my sincere hope that she faces it with unwavering resolve, as all Avatars before have done. So says Brykus.

Avatar Extras:

Avatar Yuyan was the founder of the Yuyan Archers, made to protect his best friend Fire Lord Drego during a Fire Nation Civil War. Avatar Kyoshi used them as inspiration for establishing the Dai Li.

Koh the Face Stealer was a major leader in the Spirit War and almost got killed when he tried stealing Kenku's face.

Kenku's kids are Senna's ancestors, making Korra related to Sakura by adaption.

Lake Laogai was named after Sakura's earth bending teacher. He showed great remorse for his past actions and sacrificed himself to help defend Ba Sing Se during the Spirit War.

Tensa was originally going to be given energy bending by Oogleo and during one version, cause several Avatars after him to get this ability. One of them goes nuts and has it taken away, getting himself and every other Avatar with it cast out of the Avatar Spirit . It's been said that other Avatars before Aang could enegy bend but I never agreed with that.

AN: Finally done! Because Korra Book 2 will apparently show the First Avatar {Whenever that finally premires,if ever!} I am declaring this AU and part of the slowly developing continuity for my future ATLA/LOK crossover "Avatar: Paradox", known as the Paradoxverse. This, "Avatar: Bloodlines" , and my Bumi II fic are also part of the paradoxverse. You'll see several more fics that will all lead up to Paradox. I won't give too much away but there will be Borra, Korra learning the sub skills of bending {including fart bending because I have a wonderfully immature sense of humor} and a Korra-style version of the Ember Island Players. Special thanks to Silver Omega 01 and all my other reviewers! See you soon.


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